Justice Devotion - Rescue Me - Psalm 144:11

Psalm 144:11  Rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

            Yesterday, on Facebook, some people posted a tragic picture of a child who had been drowned by the shores of the Mediterranean. The wee lad just looked as though he was sleeping. He was only about 2-3 years old. His parents had been trying to flee Syria from the ISIS terrorists. Thousands of people have been filling boats and small ships to over-capacity, as they try to escape to European lands where they hope to be granted asylum. It’s a terrible tragedy because hundreds of these migrants have drowned due to their vessels capsizing. They flee for their lives, carrying whatever they can, trying to protect their families, only to drown on the stormy Mediterranean seas.

            The fleeing people are looking to the rest of the world to help them in their plight. They are desperately seeking safety and sanctuary, in the face of an unrestrained evil army of thugs and fanatics, the likes of which the world has not seen since the Serbian-Croatian conflict from twenty years ago.

            For the sake of these fleeing migrants – men, women, and children – the political leaders of our nations need to offer more help, better placement, and, ultimately, more protection against ISIS. If nothing more is done, then we will sadly see more infants’ bodies on Mediterranean shores. We need to rescue, embrace, and support all those who flee; we need to protect and care for those who are desperately seeking asylum.

Question for reflection

How would I feel if my family was endangered by fanatics? Where would I go to flee the danger?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, open our nations to receive those who are fleeing from evil. Challenge us into caring for the least among us and the most scared around us. Remind us that to do nothing will enable evil to prevail. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s church bulletin cover drawings based on the words of Psalm 125. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: Psalm 125.