Reflections on 9/11 Remembrance

by Sheri Edwards

Today there are many pictures of remembrance and reflection on the memorial of 9/11 – the day America had terrorist attacks on our own soil. It rocked our sense of security as a nation.  I was driving into downtown when we heard the news on the radio of the first tower attack. That day Americans stared at their televisions to find out what happened. Our Commander-in-Chief spoke on television that evening assuring Americans,

We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter, and we will not fail. Peace and Freedom will prevail. –George W. Bush

As a nation, we looked to our leaders to comfort us.  Men (and women) are imperfect, and will always fail us. I want to share a portion of yesterday’s devotion to suggest that instead of looking to each other for comfort and assurance, we need to look to God.

Irrational fears, or even legitimate ones, don’t need to terrify us. David lived as a fugitive, afraid of King Saul who relentlessly pursued him because he was jealous of David’s popularity with the people. David found true solace and comfort only in his relationship with God. In Psalm 34 he wrote: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears” (v. 4). 

Our Father in heaven is all-wise and all-loving. When fear starts to overwhelm us, we need to stop and remember that He is our God and He will always hold us up.   

This morning I listened to Dr. Harold Sala on KHCB Radio and I believe his commentary is right on point.

He asked, “When difficulties come, on what do you focus? When difficulty knocks at your door, look up into the face of Jesus, realizing that God can be your source of strength, your help, your defender, and your deliverer. He will never disappoint you or leave you in the lurch. Looking to Him you will never be disappointed.”

“Your focus in the time of difficulty will determine both how you weather the storm and where you go after the storm is over. How much better to learn that God will walk with you through the valley than to wonder if He is strong enough, sufficient enough, caring enough to meet you at the time of your need. Yes, how much better indeed!”

The War Room is now the #1 movie in America. I saw it last week, and it’s message is simple but profound. We are in a battle, and our weapon must be strategic prayer. Our victory in the war has already been won by our savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s go to Him in prayer for the battles. Dr. Tony Evans writes,

As Christians, we must ask: Are we going to sit by and watch our culture fall apart and our families disintegrate? Or are we going to do something to help turn America to God?

The future of our culture is in the hands of Christians because the cause of our cultural demise is innately spiritual. And if a problem is spiritual, its cure must be spiritual as well. If we Christians are going to help turn our nation to God, we must fall on our knees and our faces before God and pray. We must not only talk about prayer, but pray. Not only agree on the importance of prayer, but pray. Not only preach on the power of prayer, but pray. As Billy Graham once said, “To get our nation on its feet, we must get on our knees.”

Second Chronicles 7:14 contains an awesome promise: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” In this hallmark passage, God calls a nation to pray.

Prayer is an earthly request for heavenly intervention. It is the tool and strategy we have been given in order to pull something down out of the invisible and into the visible. Prayer enacts God’s hand in history like nothing else because prayer is relational communication with God.

It is time, now, to set our personal agendas, brands and voices aside and join our hearts and hands in a national solemn assembly to seek God’s heart and His hand on behalf of our land.

If not now, when? Tomorrow may be too late.