The good that can come from this tragedy is indeed, repentence and a turning to God. An event like this makes people realize that all their eartthly security is of no use in the face of a destructive force. But God did not CAUSE this to happen, nor did he withdraw some sort of special protection. If you belive we had special protection, then where was God's protection at Pearl Harbor, or the San Francisco earthquake, or the flu epidemic of 1918?
To go farther back, had God withdrawn his protection from the Jews during the Holocaust? How about Europe during the Black Plague?
You see, we can draw INDIVIDUAL lessons from events like this. I can say to myself, "I have been living my life poorly, and want to repent and dedicate my life to Jesus." But as a group, when the same thing is said, then we assume an attitude that is a bit arrogant. To say, "Well, God won't protect us if we as a nation don't repent," leaves a big question in the public's mind. WHO is to repent? WHAT should they repent for? Do you not see that most of those who are saying the nation should repent are thinking "Those OTHER guys better repent?"
I assume that you think that the nation should repent for abortion and sexual immorality. SOME people should. I will also tell you that there are others who think that the nation should repent from racism, or greed, or militarism, or whatever cause happens to be their definition of the worst sin.
We live in a flawed world, in which Satan from time to time attacks with tremendous force. This is what we are living through now.
We are called to humble ourselves, call His name, and seek His face. Whether our nation will be saved or not is not given to us to know at this time. What we DO know is that God keep's His promises, and that nothing, NOTHING will separate us from the love of God through Jesus.
God is a sovereign God......God is sovereign.....Satan is not more powerful than God.
Yes, 6000 souls perished 3 weeks ago.......some were Christians....some weren't.
They all perished. ---the same way. ....at the same time.
Being a Christian won't protect us from dying or dying too soon, or dying in a horrible way.
Many were ready to meet their maker.....many weren't.
But God is still sovereign.
There is no other answer.
Our nation has been turning away from God for a long, long time.
Collectively, we spit in His face, and say He is dead.
We ignore Him, trash Him, blaspheme Him, remove Him from schools & the influence of our children......and then when a tragedy of this sort occurs, folk will say..."How could God do this"....or "How could a loving God do this".......
Janey, I believe we have had God's protection upon us........even though corporately, our nation has backed as far away from Him as it can.
God is slow to anger......it says so in the scriptures.
But if we believe there is a God.....and I do.....and He's sovereign....then we must also believe God was not impotent September 11.
Indeed yes, those who took the airplanes, and tricked folks into letting down their guard.......their hearts were evil, and their purpose was evil......and I believe Satan was their master.
But was Satan more powerful than God?.......Could God have stopped it?.....
......or to put it another way......If these terrorists had completely held sway that day.....if we hadn't had a Christian President in place to authorize authority in closing down our airports, the outcome could have been much, much worse.
Did God prevent worse from happening?......Did God stay the hand of Satan, before he could finish us off?
Was this a call to repentance to our nation at large.
Will it be heeded?
Janey, God spared Niniveh in the days of old.......(book of Johah)....
Jonah didn't want Niniveh spared because it was so wicked!!
God dealt with Jonah.........He also spared Niniveh because they repented of their wickedness, and truly mourned thier sins.
But later, they forgot.......they turned away....and well......
Our God is a loving God.......He's a righteous God.......
Janey, my Mom...(who lives in a retirement village)....has a friend, an elderly lady, who refuses to sing ...Amazing Grace...because it has the verse...that saved a wretch like me.....
She says she's not a wretch!
Janey, I'm a wretch!
We all are wretched folks.....no matter how good we clean up on the outside.
And only by God's grace, are our wretched souls redeemed.