DEVOTION / Tragedies, Floods and Disasters
Bridges and road roads washed out! Homes and businesses destroyed! Families and children missing! Rescues are ongoing. The search continues. People are picking up the pieces of shattered lives.
We could be talking about Texas, or New Mexico, or North Carolina, or Nepal, or China or countless other spots around the globe. We have been bombarded with news . . . not just storms and floods, but earthquakes, volcanoes, senseless shootings, and more. What is going on with all these tragedies unfolding around us?
Maybe the first thing that comes to mind is:
"Where is God in all this?"
Perhaps, for us, there are no easy explanations. Couldn't God have sent his angels to the rescue? Couldn't he have preserved these lives? Couldn't he – in his almighty power – have stopped these things from happening?
Without question. He absolutely had the power to do so. And yet, he didn’t. God's plans don’t always align with our human expectations. Paul, the apostle, writes that we see only a reflection as in a mirror (1 Cor 13:12). God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8–9).
It's easy to question:
“Why didn’t God stop this from happening?”
Jesus' crucifixion on the cross is a clear example. Couldn't Jesus have called twelve legions of angels to prevent this? He tells us he could have. But he didn’t. He knew a greater purpose was being worked out in God's plan. His suffering and death would lead to the redemption of the world!
When things happen that simply don't make sense to us, it is vital to cling to what God tells us. Even in the face of tragedy. . .
God is good! The cross of Jesus is the eternal proof of his goodness and love. When there was no rescue, he made a way.
God is present! Even in the tragedies, the desperate prayers and cries for help, the mess, the noise, the aftermath, he is “Immanuel,” which means God with us.
God is love! He promises to wipe every tear from our eyes. He loved us so much he adopted us--unworthy as we are--to be his children and live in his kingdom forever.
God is working! Romans 8:28 offers comfort: ...we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Do we have all the answers? Assuredly not. While these tragic events may shock us, they did not take God by surprise. Through the tears and the grief, let us mourn with those who mourn, offer comfort and hope from the Shepherd that walks with us through the darkest of valleys, and continue to share the good news of our loving God who sheds tears along with us (John 11:35) and bears on his own body scars that prove he suffered for us.
Prayer: Lord Jesus – we see but don't always understand. None one can truly know the mind of God. Assure us that even in tragedy, you are present and you love us – your children. Reassure us with your saving Gospel. Prepare us for your heavenly Kingdom. Amid tears, fears, and doubts, sustain us. Come to all who need your hope mercy, and grace, especially in these dark times of distress.
by Dave Payne