Dear Friends in Christ:
Another season of Thanksgiving is upon us! In God’s word in the Psalms, chapter 100, verse 4 we read: “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name…” This month, during the season of Thanksgiving, make it a point stop now and then and spend time in gratitude and thankfulness for all His blessings upon you.
These verses in Psalms remind us that when we come into His house, we are to be in the attitude of gratitude. Coming to church with a heart prepared for worship, thanksgiving and praise makes all the difference in how much we get out of worship. May this season of Thanksgiving be one of blessing, warmth, love and gratitude as we worship the Lord together and rejoice in the goodness of God.
My heart is heavy this morning however, with the news of another school shooting this week. One staff member died and three children were seriously injured. Our prayers go out to the families of the victims for God’s comfort and peace to strengthen them in the days ahead. Many questions haunt the minds of many people. Why does God allow evil to run rampant in our world? Why does He allow suffering and tragedy? These are question I have asked myself in my years of being on this earth. In my search in the Scriptures to find meaning and understanding I have come up with three answers that ring out to us.
First, though the world is hard at times, God is always good. He never changes and we can trust Him though evil seems to be victorious. Secondly, God is love. He loves us and that also never changes. His love is eternal and everlasting. I remember being on my missions trip to Haiti over 1 ½ years ago. I was thousands of miles away from my family, but knowing they loved me and were praying for me while I was away was a great comfort. God’s love is sustaining and powerful and we can rest in that eternal love. Thirdly, God understands suffering and wants to help us through it. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. His heart grieves when we are suffering, lonely and facing adversity, but He is always present to strengthen us to go on. In Psalm 23, the Psalmist cried out, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me!” Amen! Though we don’t understand everything that happens on this earth, we can trust our loving, all-powerful Heavenly Father when things get bleak. There is nothing he cannot do…and that is His call to us; to have the faith of Job; to trust Him when the darkest night is upon you.
May the Lord richly bless you this coming holiday season. Be thankful, be prayerful, be strengthened by His glorious might! If I can be of any spiritual assistance to you, please let me know. Call or stop by the office…I’m never too busy to talk and pray with you.
Grace and Peace: Pastor Rob