Max Lucado - Never Forget

NEVER
Forget

Jack Hayford
Anne Graham Lotz
Max Lucado
Henri Nouwen
Charles Stanley
Charles R. Swindoll

Copyright 2002 by W Publishing Group

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of the publisher.

Published by W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214.

Compiled and edited by Elizabeth Kea.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, NewCentury Version (NCV), copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by W Publishing Group, Nashville, TN 37214.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org). Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers. Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available

ISBN 0-8499-4408-2

Printed in the United States of America
02 03 04 05 06 PHX 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

September 11, 2001, is a day America and the world will never forget. So many lives were lost: fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, friends, companions. Families from around the world bear the scars of what happened that day. And while the devastation from the attacks of September 11 is unforgettable, many of us find ourselves thrust into the midst of smaller but no less devastating personal catastrophes, and we wonder how well cope.

The good newseven great newsis that there is hope to be discovered amidst the rubble of tragedy. In this little book, you will find that hope. Through selected writings from leading Christian authors you will find answers to the hard questions of suffering, and you will discover that, in the end, hope prevails.

Address to the Nation
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

America was targeted for attack because were the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of Americawith the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could....

America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

WHERE IS GOD?

Many people today are wondering how God could allow the tragedy of September 11, 2001. What could he be thinking? Is God really in control? Can we trust him to run the universe if he would allow terrorists to take the lives of so many people?

It is important to recognize that God dwells in a different realm. He occupies another dimension. My thoughts are not like your thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:89).

Make special note of the word like. Gods thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are they even like ours. We arent even in the same neighborhood. Were thinking, Preserve the body; hes thinking, Save the soul. We dream of a pay raise. He dreams of raising the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace. Im going to live before I die, we resolve. Die so you can live, he instructs. We love what rusts. He loves what endures. We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions. We show our children the Nike star with the million-dollar smile and say, Be like Mike. God points to the crucified carpenter with bloody lips and a torn side and says, Be like Christ.

Our thoughts are not like Gods thoughts. Our ways are not like his ways. He has a different agenda. He dwells in a different dimension. He lives on another plane.

The heavens tell the glory of God,
and the skies announce what
his hands have made.

Day after day they tell the story;
night after night they tell it again.

They have no speech or words;
they have no voice to be heard.

But their message goes out through
all the world;
their words go everywhere on earth.

(PSALM 19:14)

Nature is Gods workshop. The sky is his rsum. The universe is his calling card. You want to know who God is? See what he has done. You want to know his power? Take a look at his creation. Curious about his strength? Pay a visit to his home address: 1 Billion Starry Sky Avenue. Want to know his size? Step out into the night and stare at star-light emitted one million years ago....