More Questions

TITLE: More Questions
DATE:  August 23, 2019
TEXT:. Ephesians 5:2 – ESV - And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
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Two more mass murders.

Every situation seems to generate more questions and not so many solid answers. One side says since we can’t control the guns,  let’s ban the guns. I found myself agreeing with that tack until I went to Switzerland where all the young men have a rifle, a pistol and ammunition in their homes. The one thing they don’t have is mass murdering.

In Israel the young people stand on the street corners with automatic rifles. They, too know how to use them, but there are no gun-produced mass murders in Israel.

Why here and not there? Is it because the vast majority of these boys come from broken homes and had no biological father to help shape him? Is it because we have worked so hard at removing the Lord and there is no longer anything which is worthy of our respect, let alone or worship.?

Every situation seems to generate more questions and not so many answers.

After the shooting down here in El Paso one of those questions came home to roost. The first part of that question was framed by Jordan Anchondo, a mother who died shielding her two-month old from the bullets. True the child had some broken fingers from where his dying mother fell on him, but the boy lived.

I was proud of a mother who was willing to give herself that way. Almost every Christian mother I know would do the same without hesitation. But what is most interesting is this: Jordan’s husband, Andre, also was murdered as he tried to shield his wife and child. Understand, he wasn’t trying to lead them to safety; he wasn’t trying to attack the gunman. All he was doing was hoping his body mass would be enough to render a high-powered bullet inoperational.

He partly succeeded.

63-year old David Johnson,  who was also at the Wal-Mart that day was more fortunate. Yes, he died, but when the bullets began to fly, he pointed the direction for his wife and granddaughter to run... and he made sure his body remained between them and the shooter. Both wife and child survived to tell of his unselfish act.

Now I said there were questions... and so there are.

My question is, “What would I do if I found myself in a similar circumstance. I know I wouldn’t have time to debate my options, or even think about them rationally. What would I do? Would I run for cover like so many did; or would I shield my loved ones?  After a lot of thought, I know now,
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Of course, Jesus died shielding strangers, and enemies, and liars, and the people who placed Him on the cross; and me... and you, too. At any time He could have escaped. His prayer in the Garden says He personally preferred that His cup of suffering might pass by.  

But Jesus died, shielding us from sin, Satan, the world and death. In human history it has never happened before and it will never happen again. But it did happen, that once, and because it did, we are forgiven and saved.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for this sacrifice which was a part of You from before Your birth, I stand in awe and admiration. May I worship You and, to the best of my ability emulate Your sacrifice for others. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.

The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278728/parents-died-shielding-their-baby-in-el-paso.htmland the article written by Evann Gastaldo.
The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html