Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that we are, in our heart of hearts, capable of so much wickedness.  Our hearts deceive us and then can conceive so much evil.

We read stories like this and wonder how it is possible for a 15 year old young adult to kill a nine year old girl.  People will come up with all sorts of theories and maybe some are true.  They’ll say, she was abused as a child, she was fixated on death, she was medicated for depression and the medication made her do it, she was depressed and not on the right medication, etc.  The sad fact is that most likely no one in the public eye will hold her responsible except for the parents of the nine year old girl and the prosecutor and maybe the judge and jury.  The truth is that this young lady must be held responsible for everything.  Those theories do not change the fact that a young life was taken in a premeditated and gross act of depravity.

Side note:  The regrettably laughable part of our justice system is the idea that this young lady is able to enter a plea of not guilty.  I believe in innocent until proven guilty and that she has a right to enter such a plea, but I’m guessing the reason her counsel had her do this is that they are going to justify her actions with one of the theories above.  According to the article, she led police to the body and said she did it because, “she wanted to know what it felt like.”

This brings to light a few truths in my mind:

• We are all capable of this.  It is true.  Our hearts can and do conceive of evil like this.  It is by God’s grace we don’t act on it, whether believer or unbeliever (Matthew 5:21-22).
• The staying hand of God keeps our world from being even worse.  But for common grace this would be the norm instead of the extreme.  We should look at this with sadness.  We should also look and say, “God thank You for Your grace on the just and the unjust and Your Sovereignty that keeps the world from utter anarchy” (Matthew 5:45; Ephesians 1:11).
• There is salvation for the worst of sinners.  Paul declared himself to be the chief of sinners.  He had seen and possibly participated in the murders of Christians before his conversion.  God can save anyone.  May God’s grace be shown in the life of this young lady, by her repenting of sin and turning to Christ as her only hope of being made right with God.  This does not mean she should not suffer consequences for this vicious, heartless act of murder.  It does mean that God can display his grace in anyone.  If you don’t get that, then you don’t get the gospel. (1 Timothy 1:15)

We need to pray for the family of Elizabeth Olten. We need to pray that this is a means for God to grip their hearts.  We also need to pray for the family of Alyssa Bustamante and for her as well. That God would use this to bring them to Himself.

We, who are believers, need to also pray for our own hearts, that we would see wickedness being conceived and that we would confess it at the very seed of the thought and that God would graciously lead us away from temptation and unto good works that please Him.

Lastly, for those who have not yet trusted in Christ’s death and resurrection, repent of your sins, turn from your sin and trust Christ’s death and resurrection as the only way to be made right with God.  He will save you, no matter how much evil you have done.  This is the promise of the gospel!