9-11-01 by Keith Cook
"The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." Psalm 9:9,10
The date says it all. The act is beyond description. The pain is unspeakable. The memory non-eraseable.
What can we do to honor the memory of those who died? What lesson can we learn that will give us hope and courage for the future?
Honor
There are so many vivid pictures in most of our minds of those who gave their lives for total strangers.
Pictures of those who risked their lives and helped rescue the troubled.
I will never forget President Bush comforting the families of those who lost lives and boldly stating we were at war with terrorism. It touched my heart when he stood up at Ground Zero and comforted the firemen who were digging up the remains of friends and co-workers.
Nor will I soon forget the Chaplain who rushed into the horrible Twin Towers area to help. He did not know he was rushing into eternity.
It has been said that in this tragedy America was actually in it's finest hour.
The brave young father and husband who said, "let's roll" did not know he would bring tears of pride and commitment to millions who heard of his heroic efforts at saving hundreds of lives in Washington.
The firefighters who knew they were rushing into almost certain death had no way of knowing that overnight they would be heroes to millions of boys and girls all over America.
Billy Graham had no idea that he would be presenting Christ to the whole world and reaching the largest audience of his entire life as he comforted our nation the day after the terrorist attack. He was the world's pastor at that moment in time.
To the thousands of people who rushed in to help with more financial support than has ever been raised in the history of philanthropy they did so not knowing that their small donations would really help as much as it did.
To the millions of people who stayed up to pray and who often wept without knowing why.
To all these you are my heroes!
Lessons
1. God cares for every person. We may feel His love and care more when there is great stress and tremendous need, but He has always been there. We just did not notice.
2. God will use anyone who listens to Him as an instrument of His love and care.
3. The Devil and those who are led by evil will try to destroy anything good and godly.
4. By working together we can accomplish so much more than by ourselves.
5. We all really do need each other.
6. While it is great to be tolerant, it is also quite obvious who speaks with love and who really speaks for peace and equality. Christians!
7. We must be bold and take a stand for what is right, moral, just, and holy.
If we do not take our stand as Christians we will be destroyed by humanism, secularism, greed, radical religions, and selfishness. We cannot sit idly by and let the press, the media, liberal politicians, or other cultures dictate our lives. God has a standard and a plan for each of us. We must follow it daily.
When and if terror again strikes near to home, or even in any of our lives, we will have the courage and faith to continue. Hope is in Christ. Faith is in God's plan for us. This life, while fantastic, is only temporary. God will see us through.
Daily Prayer Focus: Pray for America, Pray for our individual and personal fight against terror. Pray for all those who lost loved ones around the world because of evil men and evil plans. Pray for justice and an end to terrorism.
On The Go Prayer Focus: On The Go's Neighborhood Outreach Program. In reality, very little is being done to reach people in many communities across the USA. On The Go is striving to train local Christians and help them develop programs that can systematically and permanently reach real needs in their neighborhoods.
Thank you for taking the time to pray for this important division of On The Go Ministries. For more information on any our ministries here at On The Go, you may send your questions to info@onthego.org.
On The Go Daily Devotion for September 11, 2013
Brought to you each day by On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team
Copyright (c) 2002, 2013 On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team
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On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team
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