Yesterday the small city of Humboldt, Saskatchewan held a
vigil service to honor their dead and comfort the living. They prayed and sang.
Fifteen of their Broncos hockey team and team supporters were dead. As many
were wounded. A main message from the team chaplain powerfully expressed the
emotions of them all, the questions, and the deepest grief. He sobbed. He
wrestled with his own sorrow. He also told them they need Jesus.
I watched their faces. Some seemed to hang on to every
word with the conviction that all he said was true. Some shook their heads. A
few looked bewildered. Many were so overcome with emotion that they could
scarcely listen. At least one seemed to view the entire event as opportunity to
be in front of a camera. Others were angry, not caring about God’s offer of
solace.
My own pulse raced. Tears flowed. This was a difficult
hour. We had a morning of rich worship, a challenge from the pulpit to take
care of the clutter in our physical and spiritual lives, a rest in our
weariness, then this deeply sorrowful, deeply passionate appeal to trust the
God who is both on the throne and with us in our brokenness.
Today’s devotional is about worship. Tozer writes, “We can
only worship in the Spirit, we can only pray in the Spirit, and we can only
preach effectively in the Spirit, and what we do must be done by the power of
the Spirit.” I wonder what people expect when they understand that statement. If
the Spirit is involved, do we expect confident prayers, spectacular answers,
powerful sermons leading to wholehearted response to God, and effective
ministry that reaches thousands?
Yesterday’s message from that chaplain was done in the
power of the Holy Spirit. The man was totally undone, transparent to share his
rawest emotions, his greatest sorrow. He said he had no answers to the why
question. He only knew that because Jesus came and walked among us and died for
us, that He is here with us and He knows. Call on Him. He alone can give solace
in the darkness.
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)
This is truth; we cannot see God. Tozer says we cannot
worship and serve Him either, except by the power of the Holy Spirit. I saw
that reality in the faces of those gathered in that arena. The message to
unbelieving ears made no sense. The message to overwhelmed hearts was
blah-blah-blah. The message to those who had already rejected the gospel
brought tightened lips and fiery anger. The message to those full of themselves
was just a lot of talk that was not about ‘me’ so they didn’t listen. Only the
Spirit of God can bring a hunger for God, a comprehension of truth, a desire to
find wholeness in the One who created us. Only the Holy Spirit can open hard
hearts to hear that God loves them, to know that He is with them. Only the Holy
Spirit can produce faith.
^^^^^^^^^
Jesus, I know that faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
I also know that deaf ears need a power beyond human power to hear that Word.
These faces still swim before my mind’s eye, especially the faces of those who
could not hear the same incredible message of Your love and hope that I did.
Touch them. They need the Holy Spirit and the consoling power of mercy and Your
amazing grace to give them comfort in this horrible grief.
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