Last night I finally watched the movie “American Sniper”. To say that it was intense would be a huge understatement! There are many, many topics for blog posts I could write about, but what struck me most profoundly was how much hurt and deep pain our fallen world has.

The movie gives an account of an American soldier–Chris Kyle–as he serves multiple tours of duty in Iraq. The movie goes back and forth between his time in bloody building-to-building battles on the streets of Iraq and his time at home between tours trying to re-acclimate to civilian life after experiencing war conditions for months at a time.

The movie deepened my already strong appreciation for our soldiers and veterans. They sacrifice so much.

So, after the movie as I am sitting there with tears in my eyes, I am thinking, “Why does it have to be like this?” “Why is the world so messed up to the point where the cycle of violence and war are repeated over and over?”

Obviously, we live in a fallen world that is not as God intended. He didn’t intend for any of this. But He gave us free will and this is what we have made of it.

God still loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. He will come again to set this world straight, but until then we are to be about His work while we wait.

It is tempting to sit back and just think that Jesus better come back soon because I just can’t take this any longer. But, I don’t think that is what He has in mind. I do think He wants us to wait on Him (see for reference Psalm 130 that we studied yesterday at church). I also think He wants us to be working on His behalf while we wait.

What are you doing while you are waiting on the Lord? Do you find yourself paralyzed by the pain and hurt around you? There is no shame in that since it is easy to be consumed in your pain and the pain of others. And we are called to share one another’s burdens. However, even in the act of sharing one another’s burdens, you are actively fighting against the paralysis we can experience. But, with God’s help, there is also a time to go on the offensive, so to speak! We can–armed with the Holy Spirit–help bring about restoration to this world, one person at a time. Will you join the response:

“Wait for the Lord, whose day is near. Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart.”

More to come…
Jeremy