All of the news about Orlando is heartbreaking. The massacre that occurred affected more than just those 49 people whose lives were taken. It affected their loved ones and, really, our entire nation. My heart has been so heavy over this news and so many other stories I have read and heard about recently, along with personal things I have been facing.
I have felt completely defeated and exhausted over all of this. I felt brokenness fight to take hold again and depression creep in so quickly.
As I cried aloud to Jesus, asking Him to show me something in His word that I could take hold of, I opened my Bible to these verses, from Psalm 71: "You, who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again."
I am reminded that God has a plan, even in all of this pain. He lets us see calamities so that we are reminded to cling to Him, the everlasting, good Father. He promises to revive us and strengthen us once again; We will not live defeated. Our God has already conquered death, has already won the fight. We can live victoriously because of Him and Him alone. We are victorious even in pain in this place where we are simply visitors, wanderers.
These painful moments have reminded me, in such a huge way, that this world is not my home. I can't get too attached to it and I can't let the weight of pain and worry and depression steal my heart away. Because I know there is a plan and it is one of hope.
"The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble," Proverbs 16:4.
I know that these extremely painful things don't seem like they could lead to any good. I know that everything can feel hopeless, purposeless. But if one person is reminded to cling to Jesus alone, if even one is shown the eternal hope we have and sees that their home is not here but instead with God, then this is not purposeless-then there is still something good to come.
And one thing I know about my Father is, He is so good.
