Thoughts and Prayers

...save your servant who puts his trust in you.

 - From Psalm 86

Here, the Psalmist seems solitary . . . speaking to the Lord, one to one. There are no expansive hymns of praise or worship to the Lord of the Universe. Just a set of statements, simple affirmations of trust in the Lord that watches over me. Not "us," but "me." This Psalm is very personal.

Is that selfish? No, I think not. We cannot control what goes on in other people's heads and hearts. And, as on commercial flights that are in trouble, you take care of yourself first. Only then, are you equipped to make others safe.

There's a natural principle in there: The best way to save the most lives, is to first save your own.

Now this does not negate acts of heroism and sacrifice. Notice the point is to save the most lives.

Salvation works like this: You cannot bring others to Christ (save them) until you have come to Christ (save yourself). Because you have to be a pathfinder. People are more willing to follow someone else, someone that is between them and danger.

When we say "thoughts and prayers" after every great disaster, both natural and man-made, we are inevitably met with a wave of ridicule. "Thoughts and prayers don't save lives."

But, what if I pray as the Psalmist is, here? What if I thank God for protecting me, for guiding me, and saving me? This is both a recognition of God's authority, as well as an equipping of myself, to go in and face danger; to put myself between the danger and others.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the victims" should also be a pledge and confirmation that I am ready and willing to save lives from now on.

Lord in Heaven - You are God, and You are in charge.

You are greater than the worst disaster to strike humanity.

Thank you, God, for saving me, and protecting me, today. Thank you for protecting my family.

I pray for the victims today - - - unfortunate souls that got in the way of Satan's evil, and paid the ultimate price. 

I pray for their families. 

Lord, place an image of suffering families, in my mind, and on my heart. 

Let me not look past them, when I come across them in public.

Let me not ignore the words of pain and loss shared with me.

Father - - - if there is a young man somewhere, bitter and angry about life; about loss, and rejection; if there is a desperate and lonely person out there, who is starting to believe that the only answer, for him, is to lash out violently at others that seem more happy than he, and he wants to give them what he thinks they deserve, then, please . . . 

Send that young man to me . . . and fill my spirit with the presence of Christ. In my loving and caring response to him. may he see Christ, and may he lay both his defenses, and his weapons, down. 

Father, You have spared me, so that perhaps I can be Your agent in the world, to catch these falling souls and point them back to You.

Open my eyes to see the pain, the hurt, the loneliness, the sadness, and the desperation in the souls of Your most troubled children. Place me between my loved ones and danger. 

In Jesus Name . . . Amen.