Tragedy, Tears and the Cross

if we were a bit intimidated by the enemies within. No matter how the nation responds to the tragedy and the tears of this week, the feeling of security we have known throughout the history of this nation will be lost forever.

Yet, beyond the tragedy and the tears, the terror and the fears, one symbol still stands strong, it is the old rugged cross!

The cross represents the one power in the world that has not and cannot be toppled by terrorism, crashing planes or evil empires. It represents the power of God himself. Christians, more than all others, are reminded that the power of the cross should reaffirm our feeling of safety and security. Our feeling of security is rooted in our faith that God is still on the throne and still controls the universe.

That’s why the song writer declares, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine. Heir of salvation. Purchase of God. Born of his spirit washed in his blood!”

It is an assurance for times like these.

It is an assurance that there is still safety in the arms of God.

As Christians, along with the rest of the world, see the fallen symbols of shattered security in New York, Washington and Philadelphia; let us not forget to see the one symbol that still stands tall as a symbol of hope….the cross of Christ!

Exposition

This psalm focuses on David as he encourages believes in times of trouble.

David understood what it meant to be utterly devastated by trouble on every hand. David was acquainted with both the praise of the people and at the same time he was acquainted with trouble. He enjoyed being a hero and saw how quickly popularity crumbled. He soon became hunted. From the wealth of his experience with God, David suggests three things for believers:

Believers should trust and hope in God when times are difficult. In such times we are to remember what God has done for us in the past and look forward with expectation for the great things he is going to do in the future. Scholars think David was reflecting on his own life experiences in 2 Samuel 8, in which he experience difficulties but eventual victory.

David encourages us to sing his praise despite the difficulties of any given moment because he is our eternal strength. He is control and in him we can still find security, continuity and hope.

Tragedy Shakes Security

A tragedy, simply put, is an unfortunate experience endured by an otherwise good person. When bad things happen to good people, we call them tragedies. Whenever tragedies occur our sense of security is shaken, especially if we are not grounded in the Lord.

The most striking example of a tragedy is Job. He was a good man who endured a series of tragedies that resulted in the loss of his family, property and health. Yet in all of his tragic experience, Job was not shaken.

Generally, we feel secure when outside forces cannot intrude upon us. The simplest feeling of security is how comfortable and safe we feel inside our homes when it rains. We hear the roar of the wind and see the waters drench the ground but we feel secure. But if there is a leak in the roof, we worry every time it rains. We don’t feel safe.

When David said, “God is our refuge” what he meant is that our sense of security is not derived from our own defenses, but it rests in our faith in