God is Still in Control

Our nation endured a tragedy yesterday. The aftermath is barely underway as many ponder why. What would make a soldier turn on his fellow soldiers? The speculation is rampant because this military psychiatrist is a Muslim. As I write this, most of the "news" is merely speculation, and we need to discern truth from fiction as this story unfolds. Did he cry "Allah Akbar", "God is Great", as he began the horrific massacre as reported? Did he write Muslim-glorifying posts on a blog? Was he so against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that he would turn on his comrades?

We may never know the answers to all of those questions. We certainly will never understand the answers we do get. My heart is heavy as I watch the footage and think about the insecurities brought on across the nation in military installations everywhere as well as in our hearts as a result of a few minutes of chaos at Ft. Hood. That post is so large, nearly everyone in Texas and many throughout the country actually knows someone there. It is a personal attack on every one of us.

How do we make sense of this?

The only sense to be made is that God is still in control. The first chapter of Job describes how the angels gathered before the Lord in heaven and Satan appeared with them. God asked him where he had been and he replied that he had been roaming about on earth. God pointed out to him that He had a servant, Job, who was upright and blameless. Satan retorted that Job only served God faithfully because of the many blessings God had bestowed on him. Satan proposed that God allow him (Satan) to take away all that Job had and predicted Job would turn away from God.

God gave Satan permission to basically torture Job with loss of home, family and fortune.

Be assured that yesterday's tragedy was permitted by God. He did not perform it, but he allowed it. Our response should be to turn to Him and not let go. Individually, that is easy, but our nation is in a crisis. That, too, has been permitted by God, but we are at a crossroads and we must respond accordingly. We allow sinful behavior to permeate our lives. In the name of diversity, we tolerate abominations and attacks on our very heritage.

I firmly believe that our Founding Fathers meant to protect us from being forced to attend a specific church or denomination when they wrote the Constitution. However, we have allowed our Supreme Court to corrupt that document and its intent. Today, it is permissible to have religious artifacts on display, but not Christian symbols. Today, we must celebrate "winter" or unspecified holidays - not Christmas.

I cannot and will not try to force someone to believe as I do, but I do not want to be forbidden from sharing what I do believe. I am incensed and insulted by the actions of this government that promote ideology that is completely against the provisions of our Constitution, and create the exact atmosphere that the pilgrims came here to escape.

God allows us to be tested. When Job was tested, he persevered through grief, ridicule, and confusion and remained faithful to God. In the end, he was rewarded with a new home, children and restored wealth. We can be restored as well. Individually and as a nation, we need to turn back to the One Who can make the difference. Our response to yesterday's tragedy can be the beginning of a new awakening for our country. That is my prayer.

God is still in control. I want to allow him to control me and my life as well as the United States and everything we, as a nation, do.