Shootings 12/14/12

First, the events of yesterday are horrific and take my sanity away. I will never understand why this man did what he did. I believe that whatever caused him to do this came from something more terrible than I have ever known. He is dead and rightfully so. I believe that God has judged him rightly; however, the children were innocent without a doubt. Second, the person responsible for this is all of us. This happened because sin has consequences, and people aren’t repenting of their sin and turning to God. You can’t smoke a little weed, drink a little beer, have a little fling, abort a little mistake … without it affecting more than just you. Sin is extremely unfair, but we play with it like it’s a puppy. I have done my share of sin, as we all have. My children have followed down paths of sin that I don’t know how they knew were in my past. My children have paid in some ways for my sins. This wasn’t the parents, kids, or even our faults, but sin has consequences. Third, the farther our nation gets away from God, the more horrific, terror-filled events will unfold. A lot of talk has taken place this year about the end of the world, but is anyone turning back to God before it comes? I don’t have a lot of answers, but I do know that if America would stop thinking that their sin doesn’t have a price; we might have some hope. We may get to choose what sin we commit, but we don’t get to choose how the consequences come. Satan loved what happened yesterday! He loves to see mankind be destroyed and die. The children didn’t deserve this, but if sin continues to reign; you may see more pain and worse situations in our future. God didn’t choose death by sin for us, we did. God doesn’t choose sin for us today, we do. Sin has a powerful after affect, we die. Not just us, but even the innocent get hurt by sin. God had to watch His Son die in innocence and do nothing to stop it. He knows how every parent feels. Fourth, I had to have some sleep before I wrote this, because I was sickened, shocked and disgusted in a way that I didn’t know before yesterday. Today, I have risen with the hope that God will take what this evil man did in sin and use it for good. If we can change as a result of this tragedy, then the lives of those children that we all agree is so precious and priceless will not be lost in vain. Lastly, join me in this prayer, “God, I know that sin has consequences that are awful, but yesterday seemed to be a price too high to pay. My heart is broken for the families of those who have suffered loss. Please comfort them. Please help us all to make sense of this for your good. I ask that you please hear my cries that if my sin was responsible, please know that I want it to end. If anything in my life needs to be confessed or brought to my attention, then please know I’m willing to change. I wish God you would have stopped this, but I trust that You have ways that I don’t understand. Please care for those children who are with you now and let them know that we will love their families and our families more! Please give me the words and actions that will help others come to trust in You before the end of the world comes. I pray for God to bless me, my family, my friends, America, and the world; and for the quick turn of all mankind from sin and its consequences to the best way to live according to Your will.” 
PS – 1. Read Job 3 for your grief; 2. Read Romans 8 for truth in why we need to change; 3. Read John 3:16 and ask Christ to be your Savior (Admit you have sinned, Believe that Jesus died for you to take away your sin, Call on God to take you to heaven and have victory over death as Christ did); 4. Trust in, Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
PS – 1. Hug your kids more; 2. Tell them that you love them especially when leaving home; 3. Pray for your kids and with your kids! 4. Be an example for them in all ways that they can follow to God!
True to God,
Tom Davis
Pastor of Effingham Baptist Church Rincon, Georgia