Pray For Oklahoma

   This is a time for grieving and mourning the loss of lives of human beings who lived in Oklahoma killed in the tornado yesterday. Many lost homes and cars, but nothing compares to losing a loved one. Furniture and houses can be replaced and repaired, but lives that are lost can never be replaced. Many will suffer in unimaginable grief, and we are touched today because of their losses, but in the months and years to come, we will not remember the tragedy that took the lives of these people. The shock will wear off and our lives will go back to normal soon.
  The Bible has a lot to say about remembering. We need to remember God's faithfulness to us. We need to look back on our lives and see the milestones that we placed there as memorials of God's faithfulness to each of us. We also need to remember those who are suffering. Their grief will continue as time goes on. We need to be praying for those who are afflicted and who have been affected by the recent tragedies in our country.
   We as human beings are continually trying to come up with an answer that will suffice when it comes to suffering. We get bits and pieces of the puzzle, and sometimes we get answers. But we will never really be satisfied until we are content with Him. God is not distant to those who are suffering. In fact, the Bible says the He is near to the brokenhearted. He saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). God weeps with us when we are weeping. The church is to weep with those who are weeping. Can we do that? We can't do the grieving for those who are grief stricken, but we can walk along side them as they grieve, and grieve with them. That is what they need most. They need to know that God loves them and hasn't abandoned them, nor is He punishing them. He isn't on some remote planet, unavailable to us. He is here in our midst. He wants to comfort the grieving.
   We can pray for the restoration of the material things that were lost. We can also pray that God will heal their broken hearts and reveal Himself to those who don't know Him yet. We can show mercy and compassion to the hurting. That is what we should do as a body of believers.