Sanctity of Life
If there's one thing we know as Christians, it is that human life is to be treasured. God is the giver of life and we give Him glory by loving and caring for the lives of every individual, whether young or old, healthy or sick, rich or poor. This includes the unborn as well. Without distinction, we seek to value each individual life which God has created. Genesis 1:27 says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
January is Sanctity of Human Life month where we affirm the value of each and every human life with a focus on the unborn. In this devotional, I've asked Susan Washington to share a few thoughts on this difficult but important issue:
Since we believe that we are all made in the image of God and that He gives each person unique talents and a divine purpose, we celebrate the sanctity of life: its wonder and the value of each life. Psalms 139:13-16 states: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is observed each year on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973. It is a day that we observe with believers across the nation who hearts are grieved by the tragedy of abortion. Many people are unaware of the true impact abortion has had on our nation and our community. Several of the sobering facts include:
If we took a moment of silence for each baby aborted since 1973 (over 62 million), we would be silent for over 100 years
3,400 abortions happen each day in the U.S.
93% of abortions happen because of an unwanted pregnancy
Please take a moment of silence and pray for those babies at risk, and mothers and families that are making this crucial decision. On a hopeful note, every 4 minutes a life is saved at a pregnancy care center.
Thank you to Susan for highlighting this critical issue and the importance of our prayers. We pray not only for families affected by abortion, we pray for our nation to repent and recognize the gift of human life endowed by God our Creator. Also, we thank God for these pregnancy care centers and the workers who save lives and care for those involved. Beloved, I realize that this is a complex societal issue which may be uncomfortable for us to think about. However, as we do, may the Lord grant us wisdom and sensitivity — and may we be people that trust in the truth of God's Word and celebrate and uphold the value and dignity of every life as defined by God and not by society.
God bless,
Pastor Darren
