No One Lives to Himself.

 No One Lives to Himself.

 

In Romans 14:7-8, it says that no man lives to himself or dies to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord’s.

 

Texas has wept this past couple of weeks, but while we mourn, we need to remember some things that are not easy for those whose immediate grief is so raw: “The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: And merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.” Isa. 57:1-2.

 

No Man is an Island

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were:
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

 

John Donne, a poet, felt much like the rest of us, only his viewpoint was closer to another part of the world, yet he saw that mankind was not a separate entity nor a separate continent. Basically, what is common to one man is common to all is his viewpoint.

 

We seldom hear any bells tolling here in WF, but our flags are at half mast and our brows are raised in concern and sorrow. With all the turmoil that has come to our nation due to the loss of our borders and the invasion of multiple gangs of terrorists, we can easily conceive of the “evil to come.” The consequences of political maneuvers have given even more to the reality of the bells tolling. Kidnappings, murders, forced prostitution, and equally horrifying situations have come from allowing Satan’s tools to enter into this nation. We would never want our children to have to give up their lives to avoid these horrors, but we can take comfort in knowing that their lives are in the hands of the great God, the Father.

 

Let us pray for peace and comfort for those whose sorrows are too difficult to touch. May God give them His peace. May those whose task it is to recover the remains find comfort and peace through God’s love. Let us touch their spirits with loving concern for their deepest horrors in their searches. Remember them with care as they try eventually to return to their “normal” lives.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.