To Wet a Match

Like so many of you, I’ve been reeling from the horrifying ISIS stories coming through my news feed. I look at the photos and weep, because these are my brothers and sisters and they are no less worthy of protection, of freedom or of comfort than I am, they are no more deserving of pain than I am and yet they are experiencing the unthinkable. They are being tortured, physically and emotionally, and I can’t reach them with my hands to change anything.

I’ve been baffled by the insanity. Why the children? Why would they need to hurt and kill these little ones? But this is an evil not produced by typical vanities. This evil is a darkness and a void that has been grown and fed by satan himself. These deviants have lost their own humanity and they are thrown like rocks against the soft skin of anything that looks like goodness. They kill the children because satan knows that among the innocent could be a revolutionary, a hero, a conqueror, and it is easier to wet a match than to douse a raging fire.

Our world is losing itself to the uncomfortable things we face in the moment. I rarely put anything on twitter but in May of 2011 I posted about our country:

“If we continue to flavor our principles to appease Islam, we are asking to be swallowed by it.”

This is the result of living only in the moment. We stave off a bully by handing him our lunch money, but it won’t keep him from coming back for more.

This monster of Islam will not be merciful to what we find so important. They will scoff at our moments, our world-righteous morality. They will mock us for our softness and crush everything that is not Christ in us. What are we made of? Is there enough Jesus in us to stop the blow?

So I fight. My way. My convictions draw me toward truth. As a mother, I am compelled to light the wick in our home. I tell my children, my growing sparks, about the atrocities. I spare them the details, but convince them that even children are being killed. I build the flame in my children by teaching that God is not ignoring, He is not surprised, He is not unaware, but He is most able to move on their behalf when we pray. When I told them they were being chased into mountains in the wilderness, they wanted to pray for manna for them and water to come from the rocks. Faith wins. When we summon the angels for these families, when we speak the name of Jesus, even from here, the rocks must submit to further silence. We pray. We fight for our brothers and sisters on our knees. We sting with sorrow and weep with compassion, but if we agree that Jesus is the answer we will see things work for the Good for those who love Him.

Keep praying brothers and sisters, we are making a difference. A difference bigger than the opinions of our politicians. When we pray, we will enact the change that needs to happen. We will see our leaders do what God wants, whether their minds are surrendered or not. Our leaders will do the bidding of the King of Kings, because we are still free to pray. Don’t neglect this privilege. Pray, so that no matter how evil the darkness, we are burning with unquenchable fire.

Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.” -II Chronicles 7:1-3 NASB