“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me: you shall stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand shall save me.” – Psalm 138:7
At one time, you could ask anyone, “Where were you on 9/11?” That’s not the case anymore. Apparently, incoming high school freshmen will be taught about the September 11th attacks in history class because they were not alive when that happened. I’m not entirely sure where the time went, but here we are 15 years later.
It’s easy to forget about bad times as the years go passing by. It’s said that time heals all wounds, but we keep the scars with us in this world. That’s a good thing, because those scars remind us of the choices that got us there; not only our choices, but the choices of our enemies as well.
Please recognize that our enemies are not only of a physical nature, but especially of a spiritual nature. It’s not that the events of September 11th were perpetrated by a certain people or a certain nationality, it’s so much more than that. Those attacks were done by people who do not follow Jesus Christ. That is what makes the difference. That is why those attacks were done with such malice and evil. There is God, who is our Heavenly Father, and then there are a bunch of other ‘small-g’ gods that are leading people down a very broad path towards death and destruction. That being said, each one of us is in danger of following what we turn into idols or gods.
When we choose anything other than Christ, we are placing that thing on a pedestal and worshiping it as our god. Our strongest desire should be to chase after the things of God. We should live our lives according to the firm principles of Jesus Christ. However, so many times we are too busy chasing after money, sex, alcohol, or any number of other things that we lose sight of what’s really important. “What would Jesus do” should be more than just a bumper sticker.
The problem is sin. That’s our biggest enemy. It’s easy to fall into sin when we do not follow Jesus. The Bible said that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ and that all who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Those are comforting words, especially in a country like ours that honestly has become more sinful as the years go by. There were almost 3,000 people who died due to the attacks on 9/11 and that was a huge tragedy, but there are approx. 3,000 babies that are aborted DAILY in this country. Pornography has become a billion dollar a year business here. Drug use and alternative lifestyles are not only rampant, but socially acceptable. We have lost our way as a nation, plain and simple. The warning has been shown throughout history in countless civilizations. The moral demise of a nation precedes the complete demise of a nation. I love America and it sickens me to see the grip that the devil has in this world.
If there was anything good that came from 9/11, it was that for a while at least we came together as a nation. The churches were packed. Retirement homes saw a large uptick in the amount of visitors stopping by to see relatives. Abortions dropped to such a small number that Planned Parenthood in New York City started advertising that they would do them FOR FREE just to get people in the door. Families were spending time together and the overall state of our nation was one of love and solidarity.
Unfortunately, time does heal all wounds and we started forgetting the events that sent our country into havoc. We forget to look at our scars. The attacks on September 11th were pure evil and should not ever be reduced to less than that. There’s no excuse for taking the lives of innocent people. There was one innocent life however that was made into sin for your salvation and for mine, Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He put sin to death on the cross. We, too, need to nail our sins to that same cross before it’s too late. God will protect us, but we need to follow His lead through the valley of the shadow of death. Never forget that.
God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
DH