Yesterday morning I awoke to the headlines of 18 people killed in Las Vegas and a huge number of others wounded. Before long the number grew to 58 dead and 515 wounded or injured, making it the worst mass shooting in American history.
What have we come to, and where will it end?
When I read these things, I wonder what our children are thinking? How are they being affected?
President Trump spoke the truth. He said this is a matter of “pure evil.” And it is.
What do we say, how do we think, and what do we do in the face of “pure evil?”
First, it’s very important for us to remember that evil is real. When Jesus spoke of Satan, he called him a liar, the father of lies, and a murderer. The Bible further tells us that he comes only to kill, steal, and destroy.
When I teach men, I often remind them that they have an enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy. He particularly wants to destroy our homes and families. He hates the church, and he hates our Lord. He is wreaking havoc over all the earth. We should not take evil nonchalantly. We must accept it as fact.
Second, we should seek to live righteously in the midst of a “corrupt and depraved generation” (Philippians 2:15). That’s the way the apostle Paul described his generation. He called on the people of the church at Philippi to be pure and blameless. He called on them to live as the children of God in the midst of this evil world.
Third, in the midst of such darkness, we must shine as lights in the universe. Paul gave the most wonderful compliment to the church at Philippi. He said that they shine as stars in the world. But, it is not just the church at Philippi. It is every believer. We are the light of the world. We must let our light shine before others so they can see our good works and glorify the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14).
When the world is the darkest, our light will shine the brightest.
Let us love and care for the hurting.
Finally, we must bind up the brokenhearted. The Prophet Isaiah proclaimed a passage Jesus quoted at His home town of Nazareth, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn” (Isaiah 61:1-2).
The Psalmist described our God:”He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3). We must join Him by being salt and light in a dark age.
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