Out of Control

September 1 2017

Approximately two weeks ago, we got a chance to see what looked like a scene out of the civil rights archives. In Charlottesville Virginia, a group of white supremacists marched to protest against the removal of confederate statues, a longtime symbol of racial hatred. Their faces were not covered, but they reminded me of the Klu Klux Klan. As they marched, you could see the anger as they shouted about taking their land back. It was hard to believe that this was happening in our country in 2017. It lets us know that although a lot of great progress has been made to break down racial barriers, we still have a mountain to climb.

This week the state of Texas and in particular the city of Houston is experiencing flooding from Hurricane Harvey. It is predicted to be one of the worst flooding events in history. As I listened to the news, I was shocked to hear that the people in that region had already received almost 20 inches of rain and were expected to receive another 20-30 inches. The hurricane, now a tropical storm will remain in the area for the next three to four days dropping even more rain. One of the most heart breaking pictures I saw was a group of senior citizens trapped in their facility in rising water. Some were in wheel chairs while others were seated in chairs with nowhere to go. One lady who sat in her chair was in water that covered her from the waist down, was seen knitting. I did hear that they were eventually rescued.

These two historic events paint a picture that things are seemingly out of control and waxing worse and worse. As Christians, you and I have to know and believe that all is not lost. Our God is sovereign, omnipotent and He is in control. During times like this, we have a responsibility to pray and believe that our prayers will avail much. We should pray that God will turn the hearts of those that hate into hearts that love. And if Jesus can speak to the winds and waves and say “Peace, be still”, then you and I should speak to Hurricane Harvey and tell it to go back out to sea and to weaken so that the flooding won’t worsen. That might sound a little bizarre, but Jesus has given us access to the Father and He hears and answers our prayers.

Let’s use the powerful weapon that we have been given, prayer. It will change things.