Pastor's Corner
October, 2001
It has been a few weeks now since the 9/11 Attack on America. We’ve seen so much on the TV screen, heard so much through the airwave, read so much from magazines and newspaper, of stories that brought tears to our eyes, and at the same time, a sense of fear and helplessness, especially during the first few days. It seemed that there was a sheer of fear hovering over the whole country. The sense of insecurity overwhelmed everyone; the kind of feeling that was never felt before. This reminds us once again that America, though is one of the better places to live on earth, is not our permanent home.
I am sure glad that President Bush took a first step in the right direction. It would have been too easy to react out of rage from situation like this, but he rallied the whole country to pray first. From the National Day of Prayer, it triggered many prayer meetings around the country. We’ve been hearing about the recovery and the rebuilding of New York City. I have no doubt that it will happen. In time, New York City will be rebuilt to its former glory or even surpasses its former glory. I’m sure the construction will be stronger and its design will be more elegant, but let us be convicted that physical rebuilding is secondary to a spiritual revival. This is what we need in America. And maybe this is what we need in our homes. We spend a lot of effort and energy building our physical home, making it looks “nice,” ensuring financial security and physical safety. Rightfully so, we should, in all diligence, do that, but let us not forget that the foundation of our homes and our country is on its spiritual strength. The Bible says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” So let us keep praying, keep clinging on to God for our families and our country, though you might think He is away, but He is not.
Through prayers, we are able to remember God’s unfailing love and care. This unfailing or loyal love is demonstrated on the cross. The Hebrew word of this unfailing or loyal love is hesed—a very important word to remember. Amidst the uncertainty of the world where we don’t know how long this war on terrorism will last or what the outcome of this will be, we can still trust in the hesed love of God, for in God’s hesed love, there is no forgetting. The world may not change for the better, and even if it would, it will only be for a short time, but if we trust in the hesed love of God, we are promised peace, a peace that transcends all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
This article is an excerpt of the sermon I preached on September 23. Before I sign off, I invite you to accept Jesus’ hesed love for you. It is a free gift by which you could gain a peace that transcends all understanding. And that is Security!
Pastor Larry
