This week has been another tragic week riddled with senseless gun violence; more specifically two tragic school shootings have devastated schools and families in America. Apalachee High School in Winder Georgia is less than two hours from where I live.
The second shooting was yesterday at Joppatowne High School in Maryland. How many school shootings in the USA have to take lives before our government takes action? Again, I am not anti-guns, just pro-gun reform.
We cannot let the status quo continue to grow. In case you’re wondering if there have already been 45 school shootings this year in America. In today’s world, people are more evil now than ever and don’t hesitate to act upon their evil intentions.
- Greedy
- Vengeful
- Uncompassionate
- Power-hungry
The Bible warned us over 2000 years ago that things would get worse in the last days of this world (Matthew 24:21, Luke 21:11, 2 Timothy 3:1-5.) Everything is happening now.
God’s People are more concerned about money and comfort than others and God’s will. War has ravaged our planet like never before. Nations are waring against nations for power over what isn’t in their control.
The climate crisis has affected Mother Nature in more ways than one as hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanoes are more violent than ever before in recorded history. Is easy to see why so many people are asking where God is with all of this pain and suffering in our world today.
Where Is God?
The world doesn’t believe in a God it cannot see, they have no faith and don’t understand suffering. God’s people believe and understand God is always with us (Deuteronomy 20:1, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23.)
God’s people live by faith and trust God has a purpose for our suffering (Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 1:3-4, Hebrews 11:1-6, James 1:2-4.) We may not understand why we suffer, but we trust God has a purpose for it.
We see the works and presence of God in nature (Psalm 19:1-4, Colossians 1:16.) God is always with His people and He does not change or lie like man (Romans 11:29 Ephesians 2:10, Hebrews 13:8, 1 Peter 1:25.) The Apostles remembered their Jewish education about how God is always with His people.
- Yᵊhōvâ
Yahweh is the most common Hebrew name for God used in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament. Through the patriarch Abraham, God promised to make a nation for Himself and to always be with them because God is faithful and does not change (Genesis 12:1-3, Numbers 23:19, Malachi 3:6.)
Yᵊhōvâ or Yahweh means, “To be” in Hebrew and is much more than just a promise of God to be with His people, it is a declaration about who God is as the Creator of the universe and His divine nature. This is the God Who has always been since the beginning; He is LORD over all creation from beginning to end.
Even when Israel was unfaithful, Yahweh remained faithful to His people (Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 36:5, Isaiah 25:1, Lamentations 3:22-23.) When Israel experienced hardships and exile, they knew God was with them and waited for His promised deliverance (Exodus 3:7-10, Exodus 6:6-8.)
When God first spoke to Moses in the burning bush, He called Himself, “I Am” because God has always existed and always been with His people (Exodus 3:2-5.) God describes how He was always with the forefathers of Israel.
- Abraham
- Isaac
- Jacob
The New Testament begins with a genealogy of Jesus, where we find the patriarchs of the Jewish faith listed (Matthew 1:1-17.) Here, we see the presence of God with His people through the generations leading up to the New Testament (Isaiah 48:16-19.)
Author Max Lucado explains, “The English name Jesus traces its origin to the Hebrew word Yeshua. Yeshua is a shortening of Yehoshuah, which means “Yahweh saves.”
Seventy times in the New Testament Jesus repeats the statement “I am,“ Jesus’ words were not lost on His Jewish followers. The New Testament writers continued explaining Jesus as Yahweh (Matthew 28:19, John 5:36-37; 5:27, Colossians 1:16, 1 John 4:14, Revelation 1:8; 21:6)
Jesus promised that He would be with His followers until the end of time just like Yahweh (Matthew 28:20.) Yahweh is with His people no matter what trials they face.
Jobs Report
This week ended with what some call a disappointing jobs report because they didn’t get as many jobs created as they had hoped. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth slowed for the second month in a row. The BLS tracts how the economy is doing. The job report shows that economic growth is slowing in the US.
Some Americans let the news stress them out. Unfortunately, since it is an election year, many have politicized it. This is more of a spiritual problem, than it political one—especially for God’s people. The problems we are facing in today’s world aren’t political, they are spiritual (Ephesians 6: 12.)
This is why we are seeing the signs of this world’s demise all over the world and not just here in America. Inflation, corruption, and social injustice are occurring all over the world, not just in America. We live in a fallen world full of evil.
- Greed
- Violence
- Deception
- Natural disasters
This world isn’t God’s people’s home; we are told we will face hardships here (John 16:33.) Jesus wasn’t comfortable during His ministry here, and we shouldn’t be either (Matthew 8:20.) Too many believers have placed their hope in money and temporary happiness that will not last.
Politicians tell us feel-good lies to make us happy, God knows our struggles will make us holy ( Job 23:10, Romans 8:28.) Politicians and government cannot save us, only God can. God’s people should only put their hope and trust in Yᵊhōvâ!
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