Isaiah 59:16 – “And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him.”

There are times in our lives when events make the day a very sad day and prove to be a reminder of the times we are living in.   The events of 9/11, Pearl Harbor, various assassinations and murders, etc.  

Many of those events and all the senseless, evil acts transpiring are prolific reminders that evil is evil, no matter when or where it comes from.  Today, there are heart-wrenching reminders of the biblical reality that we are in the last of the last days.  The condition of the human heart has plunged to depths hard to fathom. It is bad.  However, not to be a pessimist or a gloom-and-doom purveyor, it is going to get worse!

Something in Isaiah 59:16 gripped my heart today. “And He saw there was no man, and was ASTONISHED that there was no one to intercede; THEN His own arm brought salvation to Him…”

God was “astonished” that there were no intercessors!  We get so invested and involved in the hate or being hated that we focus on the evil rather than the solution.  We decry the wicked rather than crying out to God for their souls. They hate. They act violently and abominably. We then justify our animosity and anger, thirsting for retribution and revenge. God weeps over the lostness of man.

Yes, the senseless acts of men are horrific, wicked, and demonic, as is the case in every senseless act of violence.   But if we lose sight of the real problem, we will become party to escalating and perpetuating the problem.

I am weeping for the families of the victims of mass murders and acts of terrorism.   The children left behind need our immediate and continued prayers.  I weep for a nation and people who choose to celebrate the death of a voice they disagree with.   I weep over the lack of commitment to intercession by the church.  I refuse to let hate dominate me.  I choose to pray for the souls of people.  I will stand for truth, knowing it could cost me my life, but I will not hate!

My prayer, “LORD, help us to be so moved by the depravity and hate that we become intercessors. Help us to manifest and demonstrate the love of God and refuse to be drawn into hate.”

I am weeping today!  Weeping and crying for repentance, renewal, revival, and restoration.  I do want those guilty held accountable, and at the same time, I pray they repent. I Choose Not to Hate!

LORD, help us to never be those who Astonish You, but be those You delight in!