Where Was God on 9-11?
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; Psalm 91:1-10 (NKJV)
Today marks 22 years since the tragic events of September 11, 2001. When it happened, many people were traumatized by the thought of so many civilians losing their lives. A good number of people wondered where God was on that day.
God did not abandon us on that day. There were many accounts of World Trade Center employees who called in that day simply because something didn’t feel right. Yet others were delayed from getting to work on time. One person even said he heard a voice tell him to “Get Out!” He did and made it out just in time to avoid the catastrophe. God was not absent. The better question might be, where were we on 9-11?
Were we listening to His still small voice? Were we paying attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit? I don’t believe God wanted anyone to die that day. What if everyone had noticed and heeded His promptings? The Lord is not into seeing people die. He is life.
Psalm 91 is a promise of protection, but only when we dwell in His presence and abide or live in Him, speaking and claiming Psalm 91 as our own. Psalm 91 clearly shows us in verses 1 and 2 that in order to have the protection that this Psalm speaks of we must dwell in Him and claim His protection. When we dwell in His present, habitually spending time with Him, we know His voice and are sensitive to His guidance. That is what makes the difference on days like 9-11.
Why didn’t God stop the attacks that happened? It is because He has given every person a free will. Mankind has the God-given right to choose what they believe and do. Sadly, that includes actions of destruction and murder. God is a just God and He is all-knowing. He saw every person who participated in the wickedness that transpired, and such evil will not go unpunished. I strongly believe there is more to that day than what we’ve been told, and those who are responsible will be exposed to all and will receive the penalty that all traitors deserve.
Today, as we commemorate those who lost their lives and the heroes who risked everything to help, let’s also think of the Lord our God, who was there along with us. And in the days ahead, no matter how bad things look around us, let’s have Psalm 91 in our hearts, living in His presence and claiming His divine protection as our own.
