One News Now | A nation that needs to be on its knees before God

Yesterday the nation was reeling after the tragic massacre in Las Vegas. The president tried to calm the nation with some scriptural thoughts – and one prominent pastor also tried to put it in perspective.

Automatic gunfire was the last sound country music fans at a Jason Aldean concert expected to hear Sunday night. The sound usually associated with a war movie scene pierced the night and people began falling long before anyone really understood what was happening. During the next 15-20 minutes, the gunfire continued and an estimated 22,000 people were panicked and running for their lives.

The massacre on the Vegas Strip left 59 dead and more than 500 wounded or injured, shattering the peace of the entire country. On Monday, President Donald Trump addressed the nation with words from Psalm 34:

“Scripture teaches us the Lord is close the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. We seek comfort in those words, for we know that God lives in the hearts of those who grieve.”

Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas says it’s normal for people to ask why a good God would allow such evil. He says there are no easy answers.

“We know who the author of evil is: Satan,” Jeffress shares. “Satan is a liar and a murderer, Jesus said. And while evil is certainly a reality in this world, the good news of the gospel is evil won’t last forever.”

God provides a peace that surpasses all understanding in times like this, says the pastor. “As Paul told Timothy, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and of a sound mind – and it’s important as Christians that we not allow fear to overcome us,” he reminds.

And when such tragedy strikes, says Jeffress, God has an assignment for his church.

“It ought to drive all of us to our knees to pray for the families of those who were killed and those who were seriously wounded, hundreds and hundreds of them,” he states. “We need to be praying for the victims of this terrible tragedy.”

Columnist Michael Brown also urges prayer across the nation, saying that only through a time of soul searching, humility, and repentance by political leaders, Christian leaders, and all believers will significant change come about.