This is a call to prayer and to praise. It is a call to prayer because there are many things happening in our world that cause us to rely on God more and more. It is a call to praise because our God is relyable, all knowing and merciful.
Each morning at OMF we open our day with prayer. There always seems to be enough to pray about that we could continue for hours on end. Three things were the main focus this morning, though, and they are:
1- Minneapolis and the collapse of the bridge. (Read about it HERE)
2- North Korean missionaries being held hostage. (Read about it HERE)
3- Taiwanese village (where animal sacrifices are still being done.)
These three things are happening all at once. There are a million other stories that could be added to this list as well, including our own needs.
Pray. Pray that God would draw all men to Himself. Pray that your own faith would grow.
Read. Read the news. Pray as you read.
As I was praying and reading this morning, I read an article by John Piper about the collapse of the bridge, which is one mile from the church where he is pastor. We wonder why these things happen and he proclaims:
"The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world. "
We have the most precious message in the world in our hearts, heads and hands. May it be precious to us as we know Him and praise Him!
1 comment:
I read the same article by Piper, as soon as I heard the news, knowing that Bethlehem Baptist was nearby. What struck me first was his reference to Christ's response to the collapse of the tower in Shiloam.
I had nearly forgotten that example of God's sovereignty, but what I marveled in most was not my place as sinner, but His grace as Redeemer! "He doesn’t build bridges, he divides seas." How great is our God!
Regardless of perspective, you hit the nail on the head in that we should act upon our understanding of God in proportion to our faith. And that first act, which can been taken immediately, is to turn to prayer!
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