It was a picture of a good deed that caught my eye. College students were handing out water to people displaced and devastated by floods. I love to see goodness highlighted in our world. Glimpses of God in the newspaper.
My heart began to break as I scanned the news stores that filled the space on either side of the picture. On the left was an article about clearing the legal pathway for same-sex unions. On the right was a story about the ease with which a new abortion pill passed through the hands of regulators on its way to market. By the bottom of the page, I was on my knees.
How do you read the newspaper, watch the six-o’clock news, or process the current event updates on the internet? This is a lesson God has been teaching my heart. Too often, we read the news and feel helpless. Movers and shakers in other places are making decisions that will ultimately touch the core of who we are as a nation and we can’t do anything about it. Sometimes, we see a story, feel sympathy, shrug our shoulders, and move on. Other times, we turn it all off, pretending that what we don’t know doesn’t affect us.
God wants us to see the news through His eyes. Psalm 119:136 says, “Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.” Every headline is an opportunity to invite God into the situation. We may not be able to go to Washington, the state capitol, or city hall, but God is already there. We can ask that His power, presence, and purpose shape people’s thinking, motives, and actions. We can jumpstart the repentance and confession our society so desperately needs by looking in the mirror. We can marvel at God’s patience and mercy as He provides more time for hearts to come to know Jesus as Lord.
My Jesus Resolution today is to see the headlines as an invitation from God to bring the events of the world to Him. I am going to pray the headlines – use them as stepping stones into prayer. I am going to ask God to bring the full weight of His kingdom to bear on our society, beginning with my heart. The news isn’t scary. A world that doesn’t know God is scary. But even in a society that doesn’t acknowledge Him or bow before Him, He is at work. I am going to look at the stories in the newspaper today as clues from God about what is touching His heart, and let those headlines guide my heart deeper into His presence.
Casandra Martin 
I agree we need to pray more and for all things that are troubling but we need to know that God may include us in the solution in some way and be prepared to answer His call. It is true that too often we fail to take our cares and concerns to God in prayer. God may in return call us to action. It could be volunteering at a pregnancy crisis center, writing legislators, voting someone out of office or any number of things. Thank you for reminding us to get on our knees rather than shrug off the daily news.
Thank you, Cassandra for pointing us to our responsibility for our Nation and leaders. How awesome is our God to lead us where he wants us in “troublesome times” Thank you Lord, for providing this voice to call us to your will!
I love this! We’ve also “prayed over the ambulances” for years. When the kids were little and we would pass an ambulance making lots of noise, they would be frightened… so we taught them to pray for the people inside.
Miss you, my friend — hope your summer was splendid!