Our Psalm reading today is Psalm 11-15.
I was planning on focusing on a different Psalm today, but in light of the tragedy unfolding, I will save that for another time. Today we just need to lament and pray.
Why is there such evil in the world? Why does it seem like wickedness rules? At the time of this writing NBC confirms at least 19 people have been murdered in a mass shooting today in El Paso, TX. Though I seek for answers I know the cause: The sinful nature of humans.
Psalms 11-14 are a series of laments. They ask questions of why evil exists, why wicked people inflict pain upon the innocent, and pleads to Yahweh for salvation. And then Psalm 15 gives us a glimpse of the coming (returning) Messiah Jesus. The reading seems to say “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Yahweh calls us to love him above all else, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus called these the Greatest Commands. And yet our culture says that God is not real, and promotes a culture of violence in television, movies, and video games that glorifies shooting whomever you don’t agree with. Our entertainment is death and destruction, and we wonder why these things happen.
We are not alone in our laments when evil seems to rule. Psalm 13, a psalm of David begs these same questions. “Has Yahweh forgotten us? How long will evil rule?”
Today we mourn great loss. Today we lament great tragedy. We beg Yahweh to move so nothing like this ever has to happen again. But David reminds us that Yahweh has not forgotten us, that he will not forget us, and that salvation is coming.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
Psalm 13:5-6 NIV
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
May the God of all comfort heal our broken land. Shalom.
Living in the Word 