August 9, 2014 (By Keesha Sullivan)
The first time I saw the video “99 Balloons” it blew my mind. This YouTube video shows real parents documenting 99 days of their son’s life. They knew he was going to be born with a genetic disease that would take his life at any moment, so each day they celebrated his life. They gave thanks to God for the days that they would be able to share with him. The video shows them rejoicing over his 99 days. The last image you see on the screen as their son dies is the verse that comes from Job 1:21 which says, “…the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
These parents believed that God was good. Because of this belief, they saw their son’s 99 days as a gift and were able to maintain peace in the middle of an incredible storm. In the reading today, we see the main character, Ezra, holding that same belief that God is good. In Ezra chapter 9 verse 15, it says, “O Lord, God of Israel, you are righteous!”
The Babylonians enslaved Ezra and the Israelites. They killed their young men with the sword and spared neither young man nor young woman. The Babylonians carried all of the articles from the temple of God, both large and small. They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, yet Ezra maintained his belief that God was good.
Ezra 9:7-8 says, “From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today. But now, for a brief moment the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in His sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.” Ezra, like the parents that I spoke about in the documentary, believed in God’s goodness. They believed that even in the midst of the storm that God was still righteous and just. This perspective led them to receive the peace of God through incredible turmoil and tragedy.
We too can have that peace if we take on the same belief that no matter what happens that God is still good. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Although our circumstances may change, God does not. We can trust Him and believe even in the midst of our own personal storms that God is good.
Lord, please help us to trust and believe in your goodness even in the midst of our storms. Help us to see You as an immutable/unchangeable good and gracious God. Lord, please give us the perfect peace that you bestow on those that put their hope and trust in Your goodness. We love you so much Lord, and we are grateful for all that you do for us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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