Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
A broken and contrite heart, You, God, will not despise.
Psalms 51:15-17
It is hard to believe that thirteen years have passed since our nation was attacked and brought almost to its knees by people who did not agree with our religious, political, or social values and culture. Those same people, now members of different groups, are striving to bring us down once again. It may or may not happen. We must be aware and prayerful every day. Our world changed thirteen years ago, and it is never going to be the way it was before.
I remember where I was on that fateful day. I was away at college, and I called my mother to tell her about the first tower. We were both thinking it was an accident. Then I saw the second plane hit. I knew things were going to be different. Later that evening, pictures of people helping others began to emerge. People were rushing to volunteer at all three sites of the attack. It was amazing to see people helping others. It was also amazing that so many people also returned to church for a while afterward.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
Thirteen years ago, we were in trouble. The nation was grieving the loss of thousands of people. The unimaginable had happened. The people of this nation started to turn to the one thing that has always been solid in this country—God. Many people turned to Him because they were in shock and disbelief, and were hurting. He was with us. He never left us. Many saw the attacks as a wake-up call from God that anything could happen at any time and anywhere.
Job dealt with pain and hurt as the devil tried to tempt him to turn from God. He lost everything. He lost his wealth and his family in just an instant. Yet his faith never wavered. He relied on God to pull him through the bad times. In Job 1:20-22, Job still worshipped the Lord. He acknowledged that God can give and God can take away. Job did not question God about what had happened. He continued to worship God and maintain his righteousness.
Once the events of 9/11 ended that day, the grief and questions did not end. They are forever ingrained in the memories of those who lived it or witnessed it from far away. As a nation we sought solace in God. Many people still do—in good and bad times. God holds us up. Our spirits may have been broken…but God was there to comfort and heal our nation.
Dear Heavenly Father: We thank You for healing our nation back on 9/11/01. Now we ask that You heal our nation again as people begin to turn from You again. We pray that those who have turned away would return to You with swiftness before Your return. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
