From Riots to Revival

“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.” Psalm 81:11-14 

“There will be no peace in any soul until it is willing to obey the voice of God.” Billy Graham  

I watch the news—and honestly, it’s hard sometimes. Nations rage, cities fracture, hearts harden. Why? Psalm 81 gives the plain answer: stubborn hearts refusing to listen to God’s voice. That refusal leads to following our own counsels, and the result is chaos. It’s sin. And the only lasting solution is the gospel we carry.

I remember the riots in 2020 after George Floyd’s death. Cities burned, anger boiled, and I felt frustration rise. But when I prayed, the Lord broke my heart instead. Tears came—not from rage, but from compassion. I realized getting mad wasn’t the answer; bringing the only real solution was. So I loaded a car with missionaries, drove to the very corner where George Floyd was killed, and we did what the gospel calls us to: handed out food, prayed with hurting people, shared Jesus, worshiped in the streets, baptized new believers right there, and wept alongside the broken.

What I saw was beautiful—even in the middle of evil. The gospel brought light, hope, and transformation where darkness seemed to rule. People responded. Lives changed. That’s how we “subdue enemies” and turn God’s hand against the real foe—by advancing the gospel in love, not anger.

As believers, we hold the answer to the brokenness we see on the news every day. Opposition will come, but I promise you: even in the darkest places, people respond when they hear and see the real Jesus.

So instead of staying frustrated at the state of the nation, let’s go bring the answer. Love people to Jesus. Help them hear and obey God’s voice. That’s how peace comes—not through our outrage, but through His gospel.

This morning I’m praying for courage to obey and compassion to go. Join me. Have a great day carrying the only solution that truly works!