Isaiah 61
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me;because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted…
TRAGEDY
Our local community in Fivemiletown has been shaken within the past week by the tragic deaths of two precious young people.
Our hearts go out to the families directly impacted by the deaths of Codey and Andrea, our hearts break for the youthful potential which has been lost and we feel for the young people who were friends; many of whom are questioning why such tragedies happen and how they could occur in our little rural community.
Troubled times occur constantly – we learn of tragedies in other places, we observe devastation on the media but when the story comes home it’s more personal and poignant.
THE POWER OF PRAYER
What can we do in troubled times? Where do we turn? Is there hope, comfort and peace? Can there be healing from the pain?
As a Church family in Clogher Valley Free Presbyterian Church we are praying for the families and friends of the young people we have lost – that they will know the grace and love of God in their sorrow. We are praying for our young people that their hearts and minds would be sheltered by what the Apostle Paul called the peace that passeth all understanding.
There is power to bring love and healing through prayer because Jesus Christ lives! The power of the resurrection is an ever present reality. He lives as one who died through suffering. His life comforts and heals, bringing peace and love. One of our favourite hymns expresses this truth perfectly – “What a friend we have in Jesus”.
THE LESSON FROM THE SPARROW
Sometimes in life there are moments when we struggle to see a way ahead or our worth.
I take great solace from Christ’s teaching that God knows the very number of hairs on our head. So when we think that no-one cares or we feel of little value, we should remember that the creator of the universe knows our name and says not a sparrow falls to the ground without me knowing and you are more valuable than many sparrows.
HEALING BROKEN HEARTS
The mysteries of life in a broken world are impossible to fathom. As we look at the devastation, at the charred remains of a broken world, broken dreams, broken lives and families – we are inclined to doubt that hope exists.
But God can do what no mortal can achieve – He heals the broken in heart.
THE POWER OF THE CROSS
He does this through the power of the cross. The cross of Jesus stands before us as the greatest symbol of suffering and barbarity in the history of the world. Yet on that cross Jesus took our pain, our suffering, our sin. Through the cross He heals and He forgives.
There can be life beyond the pain and through the pain – Only through Jesus and the power of His cross.
We cannot bring back these precious young lives but we can learn from their pain and their loss. We can look upward to Christ and find rest for our weary souls in Him.
Jesus said “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”.
Rev Peter McIntyre
Clogher Valley Free Presbyterian Church 