“The world as God designed it was the best of all possible worlds, but it has now become the worst of all possible worlds; in fact, the Bible reveals that it could not be any worse than it is. Individual men who take the wrong line can get worse, but the world itself cannot get worse. Grief brings a man to see this more quickly than anything else and he longs for an umpire who will hold the scales.” —Oswald Chambers
The recent shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School have left the minds of many spinning—such horrific acts defy the human mind’s ability to understand. We’ll probably never learn the shooter’s motive or understand the thoughts that were going through his head on that terrible day.
Watching friends and family of the victims being interviewed, it’s clear that many of them are experiencing difficulty simply trying to explain their feelings in the wake of the calamity. They just can’t seem to find the words. At times when others are hurting and we can’t seem to find the right words, good people everywhere ought to pray.
There’s no need to be eloquent in your prayers, just pause, get in touch with God and let the Spirit do the rest. Romans 8:26 tells us, “…the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (NKJV). Before going to bed tonight take a minute to drop to your knees and lift up the families, friends and loved ones of all whose lives have been affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy.
While Sandy Hook might be foremost in our thoughts and prayers today, never forget that there are far more Americans elsewhere who are also suffering greatly. For many Americans, 2013 promises only uncertainty and potential disaster. I recently joined a local job networking group. Although currently unemployed, I’m fortunate enough to be a military retiree with a dependable monthly paycheck and medical benefits. Most in the group aren’t so lucky. Many struggle to make a mortgage payment, others are facing looming homelessness and still others don’t even have enough money to pay for gas to drive to our networking meetings.
As Jesus tells us, we will always have the poor with us. Unfortunately, there’s a new variety of the poor in America. It’s composed of educated, middle class people who have worked for years and now find themselves struggling through long periods of unemployment. The American middle class is shrinking while those living in poverty grows proportionately.
As our politicians bicker over taxes and spending, it appears that the federal emergency unemployment benefits that are currently in effect might be allowed to expire on December 31st. This would place many more American families at risk. Judging by the news, the politicians are nearly out of time and ideas as to how to reduce the massive national debt and get spending under control. It’s time that we turned to God for ideas.
So while you’re on your knees tonight, don’t stop after saying a prayer for Sandy Hook. Also ask God to help our nation by blessing our elected officials on both sides of the aisle and giving them the wisdom and courage to do what’s best for America in the coming year.
May you have a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Divine Simplicity 
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