Where were you on September 11, 2001? I am certain it will be forever seared in your mind. When we got up that morning, we never could have imagined the world as we knew it would change forever. I was standing in the gymnasium of North Cobb Christian School as the chapel speaker for the day. The speaker topics had been assigned to us when we agreed to speak. I remember struggling with my topic. How in the world was I going to teach elementary school children about the omnipresence of God? Omnipresence: to be present everywhere at the same time. While the topic seemed rather deep to me for elementary school children, the Lord knew we would all need that truth to hold onto within the hour.
I talked to the children about the wind. We know when it is windy. We can feel it and we can see evidence of its existence, but we can’t reach out and touch it. The same is true with air. We know it exists because we see the evidence of it. All we have to do is look at someone and watch them breathing in and out to know air is present. When we hold our breathe we feel the absence of air. The reminder of the day for the children was “Just like air, God is there.”
Moments after I left, I learned what was happening to our country. I sat by the television, like many of you, and watched the horror unfold. There were more questions than we had answers, but we had one truth we could hold onto: Just like air, God is there.
He was with each of us as we watched. He was with the family members of the passengers on flight 93 as they called home to say their last goodbyes. He was with all who lost their lives and He was the One who led many people out of the crashing buildings. He was the Comforter for those who were trapped and for those who never made it out alive.
I cannot begin to explain why some died and some lived. Only God knows the answers to those questions. But I do know God is love [1 John 4:8]. I know He is faithful and true [Revelation 19:11]. I know He will never leave us nor forsake us [Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Joshua 1:5]. He and His mercy are trustworthy [2 Samuel 7:28; 1 Corinthians 7:25]. No one can snatch us from His hand [John 10:28]. His plans for us are to prosper us and not to harm us [Jeremiah 29:11]. He desires for us to have abundant life [John 10:10].
The enemy would have us live in fear because of what took place. But I choose to live in faith. Our God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine [Ephesians 3:20]. He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control [2 Timothy 1:7]. Our money is stamped with a phrase that declares “In God We Trust.” We need to start living out what we declare. Will you trust Him today?