Crushed Spirits

Psalm 34:17-18 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Moore, Oklahoma is a town not known for being well-known or famous. That is until May 20, 2013. A devastating tornado ripped through Moore and lay waste to blocks and blocks of homes, businesses and schools.As I write these words, the grim task of calculating the death and injury toll is still unfinished. I do not envy the task of the search and rescue teams. The community continues to search amongst the piles of debris that were once beautiful buildings for any survivors. Stories are emerging of families being united, teachers bravely protecting children from the wrath of what is by some estimates an EF 5 twister. Inevitably there will be stories of those who did not survive the storm.  For the residents of Moore it is a time of despair over the horrific loss of life and property.  At the same time it is a time of great hope that those listed amongst the missing will be found alive.

This can also be a time when the spirits of those who survived can by crushed by the sorrow over the loss of family, friends, homes, businesses, places of worship and schools.  In this hour we are all touched by the tragedy and our thoughts prayers and offers of assistance turn towards Moore.  Moore serves as a poignant reminder that life is short, and life is precious. In our times of sorrow we cling to the promise of salvation paid for on the cross by Christ Jesus. And we earnestly pray for comfort, compassion, healing and peace from a loving God, our Father in heaven. Our prayers include a plea that in the face of this tragedy, that a generous measure of faith from the Holy Spirit be poured out into the hearts of all who are affected by this tragedy. We ask for strength to endure, and the willpower to resist the temptation to let their spirits be crushed by the weight of this event.  We offer our prayers knowing that the prayers of a righteous man are heard by God. We offer these prayers with righteous earned not by our own hands, rather with the precious blood of the Son of God. This gift we hold onto knowing that when our time comes, we have a room reserved in the house of our Father in Heaven.  Please pray for Moore, Oklahoma.

PRAYER: Almighty and everlasting God, you are our rock and our salvation. We turn to you in this time of tragedy and sorrow as Your children. We ask for Your peace that surpasses all understanding to flow into the hearts and lives of those suffering in Moore, Oklahoma. We ask that healing of body, mind and soul would be quick for those in need. Father, do not let their spirits be crushed by this tragedy. We turn to You Lord and ask that You would guide our hands in reaching out to those in need. These things we ask in the strong name of Jesus Christ, Amen.