Let me begin extending a warm welcome and blessing on those who may be reading my blog for the month of May. I’ve heard it said when you get old, the first thing to go is your memory. If that is true, I’ve been old for quite a long time. All kidding aside, somehow I completely forgot to write a blog for the month of April and to make matters worse, I didn’t even notice that till just a few days ago; O Lord have mercy!!

My heart is heavy as I have been watching all the rioting and violence on TV that has taken place lately in many of the cities in our nation. Growing up in the 60’s, I watched first hand all this anger and violence played out before me and I thought by now, things would have been better. In many ways I believe things have gotten better, but as we sadly see today, there still remains a lot of anger in people’s hearts.

A feeling that you have been mistreated and abused is a real feeling and if that feeling is not dealt with soon, it will lead to anger, which eventually leads to bitterness and violence. I have known times in my life where I felt people have mistreated me and even abused me and I am sad to say that my response to those feelings have not always been so good; especially before I came to know Jesus and my Lord and Savior.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we take much comfort in verses like Psalm 86:15 “But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness.” Psalm 103:8-9 “The Lord is compassionate and gracious. slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever.” I could give you many others verses in the Bible which speak of the Lord’s promise to be slow in anger and abounding in love.

Before I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I was a very angry man and I took my anger out on property and people. Please understand I am not trying to brag about this, for I am deeply remorseful for all the hurt and harm I caused to innocent people and property. When I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, one of the first things I noticed about myself was that I wasn’t so angry anymore. In washing my sins away, the Lord also miraculously healed my angry heart. I still have moments when that anger tries to raise its ugly head in my life but I immediately try to deal with my anger before it takes root in me.

I love Psalm 147:3 “He (Lord) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” and Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Please understand that I get it when people say they have been severely mistreated by others and sense so much anger and frustration because changes have not taken place as fast as they would like; for I too have felt that as well. Laws can change and some should, more accountability and justice needs to take place, but that has to be across the board with everyone.

The only answer for all the hatred and violence we see taking place today is that our nation, our world is in desperate need of a Divine healing from the hand of God. David says in Psalm 9:1-2 “I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of Your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” David could never have said that had the Lord not first changed or better yet, healed his heart.

Proverbs 15:13 “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” There is only One who can make the heart truly happy and that is the Lord. Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

There will always be injustice in our world; there will always be those who hate us and who will look to do all they can to harm us. But for the joy set before us, spending eternity with our Lord, we must endure the cross of whatever injustice and hurt we may face in this life. The only way we can do that is that we pray the Lord would heal our hearts and the hearts of those in our nation and in our world.

The prayer we need to pray for our nation, our world must first begin with us. Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the One I praise.”

Please join with me in prayer my brother, my sister for a Divine Healing from the hand of God to come to the hearts of people!!!