Luke 10:19 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

This is a wonderful, encouraging promise, but it seems to be contradicted by experience. After all, the vast majority of the people Jesus was talking to at the time were martyred! That leaves open the possibility that martyrdom, though on the surface certainly a work of the enemy, is actually an act of God. When you think about the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Himself, this certainly seems to be a very real possibility. As Paul said, “No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:7-8) Jesus’ suffering was to atone for our sins, and such was an act of God, even though the devil and those serving him rejoiced in it. I am certainly reminded of the recent martyrdom of Charlie Kirk. On the surface, it seems like a pure work of evil, and those involved in perpetrating it certainly deserve the legal punishment they will receive. However, we are already seeing marvelous results from it, with people rising up across the world, saying, “Enough is enough,” and American churches starting to overflow with young people. Several things about that martyrdom have struck me. In the first place, Charlie probably experienced very little pain, other than the initial shock of impact, because he passed out from loss of blood very quickly. In the second place, had he known all God was going to work through this, he would have volunteered. I’m sure countless people have been moved by his statement during an interview just days before, when he said he wanted to be remembered for the courage of his faith. He certainly didn’t expect to be martyred, as you can tell from his genuine surprise at the question, but his love for God was absolutely his first priority, as much as he loved his wife, children, and country. What we can take from Jesus’ words in this verse is that absolutely nothing can touch us that He hasn’t expressly allowed. That doesn’t mean we won’t have trouble, as He famously cautioned us, (John 16:33) but it means that nothing can happen to us that is outside of God’s perfect plan. We, frankly, don’t understand that plan, as Erica Kirk has already said on camera, naturally enough. This is roughest on her and their children, and countless people around the world are in shock because of it. We need to lift up Erica and their children in prayer, but otherwise trust God and pray that all of His purposes for allowing this to happen will be fulfilled, doing massive damage to the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and bringing many to salvation, for the glory of God.

I am reminded of my first response to the news that my father had graduated to heaven just days after his 64^th birthday: “He won’t have to retire.” He too had a very easy passage, going directly from surgical anesthesia to glory, but it was indeed rough on my mother in particular, as well as on us his children. I just had my 77^th birthday, which means that God still has work for me to do. My only concern would be for those I will leave behind, to the point that I pray that Cathy will go before I do, as much as I don’t look forward to that. I know that God is truly omnipotent, and His plans are perfect, so I choose to leave everything in His hands, for Him to use me however He knows is best, for the sake of His kingdom and His glory.

Father, thank You for all You are doing in the world. Thank You for how the light gets brighter, even as the dark gets darker. I pray for the people who are rejoicing at Charlie Kirk’s death, that You would bring them to repentance, showing them the state of their souls, so that they too may be saved, coming to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4) Thank You. Praise God!