Hosanna Restoration Church

God’s story is really simple. He made everything. He made it good. He made man in His image and intended that we have the good that He made. Man messed up, but God was greater than our mess up and now comes your and my part of the story. Believe it!
When we believe His story, it becomes our story. He provides, we receive, we share, and on it goes from there. He forgives, so we forgive. He loves, so we love. He provides so we provide. He is, so we are. Paul said, “I am what I am because of Him.”
In our times, it is so important to focus on His story. Terrible things go on around us and if we do not focus on God, the temptation is to respond and react in the flesh.
When people are so deceived that they believe that they are doing what their God wants when they randomly and senselessly kill others and then blow themselves up, mercy is a hard thing to feel. It is far easier to pray vengeance for folks like that. It is hard to imagine that God grieves over their destruction. It is hard to imagine that God would even want to forgive people who have followed and been a part of such things; until we look in a mirror that is and realize that we have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
In the night, I prayed about this. I thought of the victims of this terror. I prayed for them and for their families, but I had no idea what to pray or how to pray about the people who did it and others involved in planning for such things. I admit that this is an area where I need a lot of perfecting. I don’t really want people who believe such things to exist, let alone be in our country or anywhere else in the world. I want God to squash them like bugs. So that is my rant. But what does God want. He wants them saved. That is His story. So I want them saved.
When I look in the mirror I see a man that God had mercy on. No, I did not blow people up, but still I was forgiven much. Even as I type this I realize that deceived is deceived. I was believing a lie and so is everyone else who does not know Christ as savior and Lord. Compassion is a much friendlier feeling that vengeance. So I am helped.
His story always trumps our weaknesses and leads us into triumph. When I am weak, He offers me strength. I don’t really have an answer for anything other than Jesus. Just the mention of His name calms storms. Forgiveness is better than fury! His way is always best.
So even in the face of such terrible things, we can find peace. We do not necessarily need an answer, we just need Him. Then His story becomes our story and that is life. When we have life we can better pray for our leaders, friends, and enemies. For the real enemy is the devil who steals kills and destroys.
Yes, His story is the only story that really can make life complete. I know it really does not make sense until we make it our story by faith. Make His story your story. Each day is an opportunity for a new page to be written in our story as we are perfected by Him. Keep pressing.