Scripture: Lamentations 3:46-51
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us; panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction. My eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of my people. My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite, until the Lord from heaven looks down and sees. My eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the young women in my city.
Thought for the Day: On this day in 2005, a tragic event occurred on the Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad. It all started when more than a million pilgrims were on their way to a shrine. It was a tense time, heightened by the fear of potential violence. At one point, an individual in the crowd allegedly pointed at another person and yelled, “Bomb!” The crowd panicked, and began to run. Many attempted to cross the Al-Aaimmah bridge which was closed. It is estimated that nearly 1,200 people were killed in the stampede that day, many of them children and the elderly. To this day, I can still remember the news stories and the images.
Lamentations portrays a people who are devastated, grief upon grief. In such a state, panic can easily be triggered by a simple comment. Panic has people acting irrationally, and faithful discernment is lost amid fear and apprehension. The best way of dealing with those moments is to build a good relationship with God, the One who is the source of peace and contentment. That relationship cannot be built when anxiety flourishes and a spirit of panic is building. Waiting until the last minute rarely brings a healthy response to crisis. Instead of reacting with panic, let us become a people who can respond with faithful calm and healing grace.
Prayer: Can we chat for while, God. Just you and me… let’s make the time. Actually, you always do. So help me to make the time. Amen.
WORSHIP
This Morning
at
8:15, 9:30 & 11:00
