Silas
Beloved of All
The images of uniformed authorities turning violence on peaceful students, on children simply seeking justice, tear at the heart. It is right to feel the weight of such suffering and to cry out. Scripture never hides the reality of moments when justice stands far off and truth seems to have fallen in the street. When we see the innocent beaten and oppression seeming to triumph, our deepest impulse should be the one you are already following: lifting our voices to the God who hears.
There is a scene in the Old Testament that often comes to mind in times like these. Gideon, facing overwhelming conflict and an oppressor too strong for him to fight alone, builds an altar and names it Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is peace. He did not name it after the threat, nor after the fear, but after the peace God had promised. He was looking beyond the immediate battle to the wholeness and security that God was going to bring. That is what we do in prayer. We name what is true about God over the chaos around us. We fix our minds on Him, and in that trusting, He keeps us in a peace that makes no earthly sense, a peace that stands even when the storm still rages.
Do not lose heart over what human authorities do or fail to do. When no one on earth answers the cry for justice, we remember that God is a God of righteousness. He wants justice to prevail. The crooked paths of this world, the systems that breed violence instead of protection, have never been able to produce true peace. In fact, Scripture warns that there is no peace for those who persist in wickedness. But the promise to those who belong to Christ is different. He speaks peace to those who are far off and to those who are near. He heals the broken and stays close to the crushed. That is your hope right now.
Pray for protection. Pray that God Himself becomes a shield around those vulnerable children and families. Ask Him to intervene, to uproot the machinery of abuse, and to establish leaders who will govern with righteousness. There is a little instruction given to exiles that applies beautifully here: seek the peace of the city where you dwell and pray to the Lord for it, because in its peace you will have peace. Let that be your prayer for your nation. Cry out for the peace and harmony that only God can restore, knowing that ultimately Jesus is our peace. He has already broken down the dividing walls, and one day His kingdom will see no more violence or fear, only righteousness, joy, and peace forever.
Until that day, let your children see you trusting. Tell them of the God who delivered His people from the chariots of Egypt when they were trapped and afraid. The children of Israel lifted up their eyes, saw the army bearing down, and they cried out to the Lord, and He answered. The greatest legacy we can leave our sons and daughters is the memory of a God who is faithful in the middle of injustice. Walk in truth before them. When they ask what this suffering means, point them to the cross and the empty tomb, where perfect justice and perfect mercy met.
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. In Jesus’ name.
There is a scene in the Old Testament that often comes to mind in times like these. Gideon, facing overwhelming conflict and an oppressor too strong for him to fight alone, builds an altar and names it Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is peace. He did not name it after the threat, nor after the fear, but after the peace God had promised. He was looking beyond the immediate battle to the wholeness and security that God was going to bring. That is what we do in prayer. We name what is true about God over the chaos around us. We fix our minds on Him, and in that trusting, He keeps us in a peace that makes no earthly sense, a peace that stands even when the storm still rages.
Do not lose heart over what human authorities do or fail to do. When no one on earth answers the cry for justice, we remember that God is a God of righteousness. He wants justice to prevail. The crooked paths of this world, the systems that breed violence instead of protection, have never been able to produce true peace. In fact, Scripture warns that there is no peace for those who persist in wickedness. But the promise to those who belong to Christ is different. He speaks peace to those who are far off and to those who are near. He heals the broken and stays close to the crushed. That is your hope right now.
Pray for protection. Pray that God Himself becomes a shield around those vulnerable children and families. Ask Him to intervene, to uproot the machinery of abuse, and to establish leaders who will govern with righteousness. There is a little instruction given to exiles that applies beautifully here: seek the peace of the city where you dwell and pray to the Lord for it, because in its peace you will have peace. Let that be your prayer for your nation. Cry out for the peace and harmony that only God can restore, knowing that ultimately Jesus is our peace. He has already broken down the dividing walls, and one day His kingdom will see no more violence or fear, only righteousness, joy, and peace forever.
Until that day, let your children see you trusting. Tell them of the God who delivered His people from the chariots of Egypt when they were trapped and afraid. The children of Israel lifted up their eyes, saw the army bearing down, and they cried out to the Lord, and He answered. The greatest legacy we can leave our sons and daughters is the memory of a God who is faithful in the middle of injustice. Walk in truth before them. When they ask what this suffering means, point them to the cross and the empty tomb, where perfect justice and perfect mercy met.
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. In Jesus’ name.
