Broken But Not Abandoned...

I am so saddened by the devastation in Oklahoma… giant tornado killing so many people… including children.  Two schools were hit and neighborhoods were wiped out!  My heart also hurts in all this for the people that are looking to understand how God could let this happen.  I saw a comment on FB in response to a prayer for God to comfort these families… it reads: "So turn to God for salvation against devastation that God clearly caused? A mile wide tornado? That's crazy."  It is a hard thing… knowing that God can stop anything… He could have stopped His Son from dying on the cross for my sins too, but He didn't! 

There is no logic!  If we could figure it out or understand it… then what would we need God for? God created everything there is in nature.  He put the natural way things are to be, in motion, but that doesn't mean that it will never get out of whack at times… and He allows it to happen.  Just like our free will… He could treat us all like puppets to live and do everything perfectly as He wants it, but what would that be?  Would that be living?  He loves us so much and the only way for us to love Him back is through free will… if you force someone to love you is that really love? 

“But God is rich in mercy because of His great love for us. We were dead because of our failures, but He made us alive together with Christ. (It is God’s kindness that saved you.) God has brought us back to life together with Christ Jesus and has given us a position in heaven with Him. He did this through Christ Jesus out of His generosity to us in order to show His extremely rich kindness in the world to come.” Ephesians 2:4-7

These situations are so devastating and hard to grasp the good, if any… but I have to trust that God knows what He is doing!  What is my alternative to that?  I can either trust that God is sovereign and His Word is true or I can choose to live my life with no hope… Is that really a choice?

I have recently become a fan of the Sidewalk Prophets… they have some great songs, but one of their songs, “Keep Making Me”, has words that are so powerful to me!  Because words are so important to me I find it hard to sing words I don’t mean… some days I can sing these words and mean them… other days I cannot even get them to come out of my mouth because of the tears.  I want this to be my prayer every day… as you read the words you’ll see what I mean.

Make me broken, so I can be healed
‘Cuz I’m so calloused now I can’t feel
I want to run to You, heart wide open
Make me broken

Make me empty so I can be filled
‘Cuz I’m still holding onto my will
And I’m completed when You are with me
Make me empty

‘Til You are my one desire
‘Til You are my one true love
‘Til You are my breath, my everything
Lord please keep making me

Make me lonely so I can be whole
‘Til I want no one more than You Lord
‘Cuz in the darkness I know You will hold me
Make me lonely

‘Til You are my one desire
‘Til You are my one true love
‘Til You are my breath, my everything
Lord please keep making, I know You’ll keep making, me

My prayers go out to those hurting in Oklahoma… may they feel God’s presence as their comfort!  And may they know that they are not abandoned!

“I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.” Isaiah 49:15-16

Rejoicing in Truth!