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It’s happened again.

Another tragic story about the senseless killing of a child – this time by what appears to be a terrorist’s bomb.

All of us with children and grandchildren want to hold those children a bit closer because we imagine the sense of loss those parents are feeling.
How do we make sense of these horrific situations? How do we prevent fear from consuming us?

There are so many questions and only one answer. Faith.

Yet how can we have faith in a God who allows such suffering?

Our faith is rooted in trust that the God who created us also made it possible for us to be redeemed from this world of evil, sin and suffering. Yes, our Heavenly Father allows evil to exist, but that is NOT the end of the story. Our hope lies in the fact that Jesus has conquered sin and death by His finished work on the cross. While we exist in these “earth suits” we are subject to the effects of original sin. Yet, by God’s grace we are able to exchange the effects of sin for that which is of eternal value.

Isaiah 61:2-4 (NKJV)

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

This is the great exchange.
• Comfort ….. for those who mourn
• Beauty ….. for ashes
• Oil of joy ….. for mourning
• Garment of praise ….. for the spirit of heaviness

We must pray that God will pour out His love and comfort in the hearts of all those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing.
Pray that we will be able to be agents of God’s hope and peace.