Main Title : BOMBED AGAIN

By Pastor Michael Magbag

Scripture :

Psalm 91
New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,  my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,  nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,  nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Radicals bombed a busy night market recently in Quiapo Manila in the  Philippines. They killed at least 14 and wounded 67 others. Reports suggest more attacks by militants may be coming from a LocalTerrorist intended for Asean Summit

As civilized people, we find it tragic that radicals have so little value for human life that they would plant explosives in a crowded marketplace to kill and maim innocent civilians. Their reason? To make a political statement.

Hate-filled violence is no stranger to innocent people. Radicals are present everywhere. Hatred, animosity and revenge influence human lives.

So where is God in all of this? Why doesn’t God stop all this tragedy and chaos? After all, He is all powerful, good and loving…ISN’T HE??  

That is true. But here’s the harder truth: God does not control the will of mankind. He chooses to let us make choices. He doesn’t interfere with our wrong decisions. Each man, each woman, each child, even each political activist, makes a choice to act in a way that is good or evil.  Humans have been given the right to choose. That includes violent people.

Every time a human being chooses violence, God weeps. God values every human life. But He cannot change the laws of His nature, and He always chooses to love. God so loved the world that He allowed His own son to die by the violence of angry men.

But they did not win. That crucified Jesus rose again!

Violence does not win unless we let it dictate how we will live. We cannot escape the violence of this world, where innocents are often the victims. But we can be the voices of hope and faith. We must choose to believe that our lives are in God’s hands. We are safe. It would be wrong to hide for fear of evil. I’ve been in many unsafe places in the world, not because I chose to, but because in following God’s will for my life, I ended up near violence. And God was also there.

We should pray prayers of faith and optimism. We should pray for God to intervene and save the evil and misguided. But above all, know that God is our refuge and our strong tower. We are SAFE!!!