Goodness of God ~ Bethel Music
God ’s name is a place of protection— good people can
run there and be safe. ~ Proverbs 18:10 MSG
Today is a hard day for so many, as they remember the
events of this day eighteen years ago. The stories surrounding that day are too
numerous to count. I pray that this story gives you hope, even as we remember
that dark day.
He got up, got
dressed for work, kissed his girlfriend good-bye and headed out the door.
Today was the day it would all change for him. He was starting a new job,
a new way of life. After orientation, his boss showed him to an office
and asked him to file while she was in a meeting. A while later, he began
to hear a commotion. People were yelling and running. He stuck his
head out of the office and saw the burning twin towers on TV and the reporter
talking about the concerns for the President. Then someone in the office
said, “Air Force One is across the street! Should we evacuate the
building?” No one gave an answer, for they were all staring at the TV in
horror. He moved back into the office and closed the door, his mind whirling.
In John 14:27, Jesus said He came to give us peace, but
He wasn’t talking about a world without war. Jesus' peace is a feeling of quiet
confidence and complete trust. That's easy to say when there's no conflict.
But what about days of tragedy? And how do those who don't know Him find peace on
dark days?
Standing in that
office, leaning up against the door, he was afraid. “What if I die
today? What if they take out the President’s plane and this office with
it? What if my girlfriend was right and I miss it?” He began to
remember what his friends had said one night after work, so many years
ago. They had talked about a Savior. Not a mean God, but One who wanted
to love him and who would accept him. Sliding down to the floor, he said,
“God I give you my heart. From this day forward, I’m Yours.”
The TV stations all reported the number of lives lost
that day. It's gut-wrenching to recall and reread the stories. My heart is
broken for the families who all lost someone on that dark day.
But there is hope! In John 17:15, 18, Jesus prayed that
God would not take His disciples out of the world but would protect them from
the evil one while they were in it. He said, "As you sent me into the
world, I have sent them into the world." He knew the risk of losing even
one soul to hell for eternity was far greater if messengers weren't sent to
share His story and His Name.
On that dark day, when so many lives were lost, at least
one soul was saved. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 my husband gave his life to Christ!
Lord, thank you for his friends who told him about You
long before I ever knew him. I pray that for those who don’t know
Peace—who don’t know You—that they would turn to You. Send someone into their lives
and to tell them about You. Thank you for wanting us to be Yours. In
Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
And I will give
them a heart to know (recognize, understand, and be acquainted with) Me, that I
am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will
return to Me with their whole heart. ~ Jeremiah 24:7 AMP
©Heather Potts 2014, edited 2019
