I know Who To Blame

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you.”-Psalm 40:7*

For the past few days, I have been rendered speechless, profoundly saddened, and intensely angered.  The almost daily displays of murderous and heinous acts continue to take center stage in our world and beg us to question our policies on gun control, mental illness, freedom of speech, and religion.  But there are not any profound answers.

I have one; it is evil and I know who to blame.

As a Christian, I believe in my God who stands for righteousness, grace, mercy, and love.  There is opposition to Him and has been for a long time.  The antithesis represents disdain, ugliness, mercilessness, and hate for humanity.

I am calling him out.  Satan is to blame.

Our leaders, law enforcement, and media try to find the answers and bring clarity to the senseless and brutal murders of innocent people. For me, I already have the answer.  And sadly it will continue until Jesus comes to claim His victory.

But I have hope.  Because I believe my God will win it all and destroy Satan forever (Revelations 20:7-10*).

So the big question for me is how to currently live in these circumstances?

Faith-I firmly believe in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and is my Lord and Savior.  I believe He has a purpose for me and I am to listen, learn, and obey.  I am to live out my beliefs, humbly and unashamed.  I believe He is the judge of mankind and I am to love all as He loves me.

Prayer-I believe in the power of prayer.  I pray in good and bad situations.  Sometimes my prayers are obviously answered, and sometimes not.  I believe God is in control and knows much more about the overall puzzle of life than I could ever comprehend.  It is not my will, but His.

Honor-I believe in honoring my God.  He created all of us uniquely and in His image.  Because of this, I will respect those who do not look like me, believe like me, talks like me, or thinks like me.  I believe we can co-exist and agree to disagree, without malice or spite.  Even those who break the laws or commit unspeakable acts towards others, they need to be held accountable for their actions and forgiven.

Hope-My hope is in Jesus.  He will come back one day and claim this world as His and there will be no more room for evil.  Sin, illness, death, and destruction will no longer be a part of our daily lives.  He will have claimed His believers forever.

This is where I need to focus.  I ask for a little grace as I cry and vent in processing such horrific acts of evil.

I know who to blame. And I believe in God’s promise.

Tomorrow is a new day where I will put my faith in action and ask God to show me the good in humankind. I have hope for the future.

*The Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society