“The Only Thing We Can Do”

In reality, it’s our only Hope in the midst of all this mess.

Pray and believe.

Yes, last week’s murder of George Floyd at the hands (or in his case, a knee) of a Minneapolis policeman left us all shaking our heads. And, the subsequent riots, looting, burning of cars and businesses, etc. in various cities like New York, Denver, Los Angeles, etc., were not surprising because of what appears to be another act of racial discrimination.

It’s only been a few weeks ago that we were dismayed to see 25-year-old African-American Ahmaud Arbery being gunned down in cold blood in broad open daylight by a 64-year-old white father and his grown son.
And, Floyd’s agonizing cries of “Help me! I can’t breathe!”—which were caught on video—reminded us of Eric Garner’s cry in 2014 after being wrestled to the ground by police. He, too, like Floyd, died as a result of the police’s heavy-handed, excessive use-of-force and seeming uncaring attitude toward the victim.

Now, I’m not trying to cast a bad light on our police men and women. The majority of them are true to their calling and measured in their response. However, it’s the few “bad apples” that cast a bad light on the rest of them, causing them to be hypervigilant (and afraid) because of the violent responses they know are coming.

So, are the above-mentioned heart-wrenching, senseless and unnecessary deaths a racial issue, i.e., rooted in the same hatred whites have for blacks (and vice versa) that precipitated the Civil War?

Possibly; however, there’s a deeper issue here.

It’s a heart issue—and, in reality, it’s a spiritual issue.

Yes, what we’re seeing in all of this is spiritual warfare that transcends one’s skin color. Likewise, even in the current COVID-19 pandemic, we’re seeing the evil one and his demonic forces at work—seeking to “steal, kill and destroy” while he goes around “as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour” (John 10:10a; I Peter 5:8).

And, that’s why I said at the beginning, our only Hope in all of this is to look to Almighty God for help and cry out to Him in heartbroken, soul-stirring, passionate prayer.
It’ll not be politicians, economic stimulus plans, better education or social reforms that’ll get us out of the mess we’re in; only God can do that.

That’s why we must cry out to Him like a “reeling to-and-fro, drunken sailor at sea, who’s at his wit’s end” (Psalm 107:26-27). And, this won’t happen until we realize that we’re all to blame for what’s going on—for, as the prophet Hosea put it, “We’ve sown to the wind and we’re now reaping the whirlwind, i.e., the tornado” (Hos. 8:7).

In reality, God’s “turned us over to a reprobate (perverse, perverted) mind where we not only call evil ‘good’ and good ‘evil’. . .and knowingly/willing do what is wrong. . .but also applaud those who join in with us” (Romans 1:18-32).

And, then we wonder why we’re having such problems.

It’s called “the Wrath of God” (Rom. 1:18).

So, again, the “solution” is a simple one: “humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s Face and turn from our wicked ways, i.e., repent” (II Chronicles 7:14a). Only then will He “hear from Heaven, forgive our sins and heal our land” (v.14b). Only then.

Thus, the question is: “Do we believe this?” Even more, “Do we believe in Him. . .the He’s the one, true-and-living God. . .the Creator and Sustainer of everything. . .Who hates sin and must punish it? Or, do we prefer to keep on believing lies and the ‘false gods’ of men’s philosophies and ideologies, which really got us in the mess we’re in to begin with??”

The choice is ours.

Here’s hoping we’ll heed God’s words to Solomon in II Chron. 7:14; otherwise, things are only going to get worse—for “the Handwriting’s on the wall” (Daniel 5:5-31).

Help us, O God.

(NOTE: If you’d like to contact Bro. Tom or receive his daily e-mail devotional, entitled “Morning Manna,” you can write him at P.O. Box 10614, Fort Smith, AR 72917 or e-mail him at pressingon@hotmail.com).