Glory in a broken world

It doesn't take long... You watch the news, read it online, on paper, heck, on twitter... If you spend much time at all ingesting the events going on in our country, it doesn't take long to understand and realize that this is such a broken world. The problems facing the next generation are not necessarily new problems, undue violence against our fellow man, complete lack of morality, an unhinged understanding of right and wrong... these are problems that we have faced as mankind since our existence started. So, if the problems aren't new, then what are they? I think the scariest part of being a parent right now, is looking into my children's eyes and trying to imagine what the future will hold. They will have to face these same, age-old problems of humanity, but, if the current trends continue, they will face them in bolder, louder, more outrageous, and more consistent ways. The problems are not new, they are just more intense. They are more intense and will continue to increase in intensity as we continue to choose to turn further from God.

The fault of horrific events is never an object or an idea, the fault lies within the will of man to glorify himself above God.

When we place our own glory above the glory of God, we have already accepted Satan's first lie, we have repeated the mistake of Adam and Eve. We have believed that we, as creation, are of greater value than the Creator. We have chosen to believe that God exists for us, for our use, and for our glory... we believe it to the extent that we blame Him when horrible tragedies occur. We question how He could let us do such awful things to one another. God does not exist for our pleasure, to make us happy (by our definition), He is not overly concerned with so much of the junk that happens on this planet, because so very little of it has any eternal significance whatsoever! God's concern is that He be glorified above all things! Why? Because He created all things for that very purpose! 

I don't know why things like the death of children, whether at the hands of crazed gunmen, or the hands of a parent, happen. But I choose to trust that God is sovereign. I choose to believe that there is much greater things going on in this world. I wonder how often Satan uses mass tragedy and hurt to attempt to distract us from something amazing and glorious. Seems too easy to blame God and focus on the carnage, rather than to see the work of evil and focus on God. 

Even in the face of such horrible, painful things... I will try to remember to sing, "Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God... forever."

Our country needs God, and they need Him now... He will run to those who honestly seek Him, He does not hide from those who desire to see Him. Let us use recent events as a springboard, thrusting us back into His loving arms. Let us make a choice this morning to seek out a body of believers, and lets get our country moving back to where it needs to be.