You find out where Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos is going to be one day. You don't know them, but hide in the hotel lobby or the restaurant until you get your chance. As they begin to move, you quickly and earnestly approach them with your heartfelt request. You ask them for 500,000 dollars for the house that you think that you need, for the assistance for the money needed for the medical care for that loved one, etc. They don't know you and without responding they move past you. In anger, you get on social media and begin to trash them. You state that they are cheap and don't care about others. Is that fair? Is that accurate?

You have never formed a relationship with these rich individuals. What would give you the right or expectation that now that you need something they should heed your request, no matter how heartfelt that might be. How many approach God the exact same way. How many have never bothered to get to know Him. They haven't spent so much as two minutes getting to know Him in His Word. They may let out with a rote and ritualistic prayer with Him, but have never entered into a relationship with Him. In fact, if they were honest in a given week they barely give God a second thought. Then catastrophe strikes. That diagnosis is given that you didn't want to hear. That loved one is in danger. Now you approach Him pleading for Him to answer your request. But it doesn't turn out the way you want. Your illness progresses, your loved one does not make it. What then happens? They now get angry with God for not answering the way they want. Most people don't really want God, they want a genie. They don't want a relationship with God, they want a God on demand who can fulfill their every need and request. It doesn't work that way. Prayer is a communication not to exert your will, but to align your will with His will. You cannot know His will unless you know His Word.

God is still not a genie, and often His answer is still no. We might not even know why. But we know that even when those of us in a relationship with Him do not get the news that we want, we can rest in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

We read in Romans 10:14-17, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Tragedy surrounds each and every one of us, both personally and for those around us. The world is full of sadness. We can and should empathize with everyone. But this is not the end of our role. As Paul so clearly stated in Romans 10:1, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved." Paul lived his entire life after his conversion being mistreated by one group or another. But, nothing deterred him, since he knew that he knew what most people didn’t. Outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ there is no hope, no peace, no love. Share the gospel. You never know if your words might take root to bring about the only hope that exists, Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our sins, died and rose again conquering both sin and death. This is the only real and lasting peace that exists.