by Scott Pace | Aug 31, 2017
As we continue to witness the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey and as we survey the tragic destruction, we are confronted with the question of why natural disasters occur. If God loves us and has promised to protect us, what explanation can be given for hurricanes and other destructive forces of nature and how should we view them? Of course, our answer comes from the authoritative source of God’s own words, the Bible.
How to View Natural Disasters
1. Natural Disasters result from Man’s original sin. Through the sin of Adam, when he rejected God’s plan for his life, we know that sin entered the world and condemns all mankind of sin’s guilt (Rom. 5:12). But as God gave Adam rule over His creation (Gen. 1:28-30), “creation was subjected to futility” (Rom. 8:20), and Adam’s sin resulted in the corruption of God’s creation.
While Christ’s death on the cross is mankind’s redemption for those who “receive the abundance of grace” (Rom. 5:17), creation “waits eagerly” with “anxious longing” (Rom. 8:19) for its redemption “from its slavery to corruption” (Rom. 8:21). This is not limited to portions of God’s creation, but “the whole creation groans and suffers” (Rom. 8:22). Just as we still struggle against the sin nature that remains, creation continues to fight against the corruptive effects of sin, looking forward to Christ’s establishment of a “new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1-6, 2 Pet. 3:10,13). Until then, natural disasters can be an expected part of our lives.
2. Natural Disasters reflect God’s judgment of sin. Throughout the Scriptures, God used His sovereignty over His creation to enact His judgment of sin. The flood (Gen. 6-8), Sodom’s destruction (Gen. 19), Jonah and the great fish (Jonah), all point to God’s response to sin. Certainly, the plagues of Egypt (Ex. 7-11) and many other Scriptural accounts indicate God’s power over His creation and His use of this to judge sin.
In the Gospel accounts, we see Christ’s power over “the winds and sea” (Matt. 8:27) and other aspects of nature (Matt. 17:27), so we can be assured of God’s continued ability to reign over His creation, even though He has given control to man, his sin and to Satan himself (Eph. 6:12, Jn. 16:11).
Although we cannot know if the destruction from natural disasters is God’s judgment of a specific sin, we do know that God included nature in His judgment for original sin (Gen. 3:17-18), and we can be reminded of His hatred of sin and His promised judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
3. Natural Disasters remind us of Christ’s return. Before Christ died, was resurrected and ascended into heaven, He promised His return (Jn. 14:1-3). But as He foretold of the end times to His disciples, He spoke of those things that would signify His coming. Along with false prophets, wars, plagues, famines, and earthquakes (Luke 21:8-11), which are prevalent in our world today, Jesus promised “terrors and great signs from heaven” (v.11).
In Matthew’s parallel account, Jesus referred to the natural signs as “the beginning of birth pangs” (Matt. 24:8), much like Paul referred to creation’s groaning and suffering from “the pains of childbirth together until now” (Rom. 8:22). Although we cannot know the day, hour or place in eternity of Christ’s return (Matt. 24:36), we can be assured that sin’s effect on creation climaxes towards His coming again. The occurrence of natural disasters reminds us of the immanence of His return, our need to be prepared (Matt. 25:44) and the eagerness with which we are to wait (2 Tim.4:8).
How to Respond to Natural Disasters
1. Pray for those affected. The tragedy of lives lost and homes destroyed should drive us to our knees in prayer for all of those affected by the natural disaster. We pray for God to use the tragic circumstances to accomplish His good, perfect and pleasing will (Rom. 8:28). But we also must pray for God’s comfort and peace to embrace the hearts and lives of the many families, homes, churches and individuals that are searching for comfort during this difficult time (Phil. 4:6-7).
2. Position your life on God’s Word. Jesus promised that “heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). As the temporal value of this life and earth is seen through the destruction of a natural disaster, we must continue to establish our lives on that which lives and endures forever, the Word of the Lord (1 Pet. 1:23-25).
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock” (Matt. 7:24-25).
3. Prepare for Christ’s Return. Being prepared for Christ’s return involves assurance of faith in Christ and living a life that is pleasing to Him “so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming” (1 John 2:28).
4. Propagate our faith. In light of Christ’s immanent return, we should recognize the condition of the lost souls around us and across the world, resulting in the sharing of our faith with urgency (Matt. 28:18-20). But also, with the physical needs around us in the wake of a natural disaster, we must be faithful to share the love and compassion of Christ as we minister to the physical and the spiritual needs in His name.
This involves understanding that these disasters “lead to an opportunity for your testimony” (Luke 21:13), and we must make the “most of each opportunity” (Col. 4:5).
by Amy Spear | Aug 24, 2017
Nothing is more frustrating to me than starting my day with a long to-do list, a blank calendar to get things done and an attitude in which to accomplish them, only to find myself at the end of the day without a thing on that list done! What happened? Where did my day go, and why didn’t I get anything done!?
Distractions!
Maybe one of America’s biggest failures when it comes to fighting against Satan is distractions. Getting distracted happens to all of us, and no matter how hard we try, there will be days that we won’t get the to-do list done and more pressing issues will arise that we have to address.
Overwhelmed and distracted, that’s right where Satan wants us.
So many things to doing that asking God what He wants us to accomplish really isn’t an issue at all, since pausing for prayer would take up too much valuable time! Listening and talking to God long enough to hear what His instructions are seems to be the last thing on everyone’s to-do list. Busy, busy, busy!
Some of you may be asking, “Could distractions really be a scheme of Satan’s or is it just a natural consequence of being too busy and unorganized?”
Let’s take a look at Neh. 5:1-5 and see if we can get some insight:
“There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. Some were saying, ‘We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live.’ Others were saying, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.’ Still others were saying, ‘We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.’”
It goes on to say that Nehemiah was outraged. Their own countrymen were selling each other, charging interest and taking advantage of the weak while others were in a desperate situation. Thankfully, Nehemiah called them out on it and set them straight.
Instead of doing what God had called them to do (build the city wall back to protect themselves), these countrymen diverted their efforts and used their time for themselves, to gain monetarily. I’m pretty sure they weren’t taking time to pray and ask God for guidance on what they should be doing that day. If they had, God would have told them to pick up a hammer and get to building!
You see, Satan knew their weakness (greed), and he showed them an opportunity to make money. This was not the time to work business deals. Deals that were not pleasing to God anyways. It was a time to focus on the task at hand and get to work!
This distraction not only cost them time in building the wall, it also enslaved men, women and children, took food away from hungry bellies and impoverished others. Ultimately, it cost them more money in the end (Neh. 5:9-11).
Think about “in the end.” At the end of life, what will you have accomplished? What will you be able to point to that allows you to say, “I did that for God”? Will you have regrets? Will you be able to say, “I did my best, Lord, and I am proud to have worked alongside you”?
See, distractions may seem pretty small at first, but in the end, they stop us from accomplishing a lot, and specifically, what God has called us to do. Which, in fact, is Satan’s whole scheme. Distraction = God’s will never coming to fruition.
Don’t let yourself get side tracked by less important things. Take time to talk with God and listen for His direction. Only then will we hold distractions at bay and accomplish big things for God and His Kingdom.
by Ryan Smith | Aug 23, 2017
I love Oklahoma.
This is a great state for many reasons. If I were to list the top five reasons I love this state, somewhere near the top of that list would be one simple word:
Thunderstorms.
Recently, our Oklahoma sky was ablaze with streaks of lightning that illuminated swirling rain and charging winds. After each brilliant flash, I waited (1 Oklahoma…2 Oklahoma…) then came the familiar peels, rumbles, crackles and shaking booms that have stirred me since I was a child.
As I sat and watched the storm roll through, I had a few categorical thoughts.
- I feel small.
- I’m thankful for shelter.
- This will pass.
- God is big.
I feel small when I watch a thunderstorm because I am completely at its mercy. I have no control.
I am thankful for shelter because, even though I am in the midst of deafening booms and rogue fissures of electricity, I have no fear. I can gently rock my scared five-year-old as he passes from waves of concern to the gentle drifting of sleep – mere feet away from radical and raging elements.
I understand this will pass because I have seen this story before. Though unpredictable and certainly dangerous, there will be an after. This is not the first storm, and it won’t be the last.
I see God is big because the Bible tells me God is the creator of all things. It tells me God is sovereign. It tells me storms are of no lasting consequence in light of the surpassing story of the Gospel working itself out, even in the midst of creation groaning and thrashing about in subjection to a sinful world.
It is funny how natural phenomena like rain, storms or campfires make us introspective. They make us teeter on the thin line between fear and awe. They captivate our attention in large part, because we are captive to them. We are dependent on the fire’s heat and the thunderstorm’s rain. Yet we cannot venture too close to either for fear of succumbing to these same elements.
We are too fragile.
I cannot watch a thunderstorm without thinking about God. Like the disciples on the calm and gentle water, still drenched from crashing waves, standing in fearful awe of Jesus, I cannot help but ask myself the question, “Who is this that even the winds and waves obey him?”
The morning after the storm, I refreshed my twitter feed to see creation socially groaning and thrashing about – being strangled by sin and gasping for redemptive breath. I heard crashing booms of doomsday prophets and suspicious rumbles of what may still be to come. I saw streaks of anger fracturing the quiet backdrop.
So much danger. So much violent and rushing threat. Such chaos and uncertainty.
I felt myself wanting to respond like my five-year-old the night before – covering my eyes and ears to quiet the noise.
I’ll be honest. When I see the social winds rage and watch the flash bangs of daily derision, I often feel helpless and don’t know what to do. More or less, I fear I am just an idle onlooker waiting for the storm to pass – documenting it on my Instagram feed to feel involved in the situation.
Sometimes I want to rage into the discussion, throwing caution to the wind, protecting what is precious, and screaming against the stinging bullets of rain.
Sometimes I just want to retreat to an interior room and wait for the All Clear.
Either way, I know I will never stop the storm. As noble and strong as I may present myself, at the end of the day, this is bigger than me.
I have a responsibility and a duty to do what I can, certainly. But what I can do will never fully reverse the effects of the fall or secure a new kingdom under my steady hand where all of these tumults have ceased.
My voice is too weak. I am not God.
But still, by grace I have God and the Gospel.
In these times when I feel small, I find I can still use that small voice to speak to those who would hear of our God who is not small.
I can invite those in harm’s way to take cover under the shelter of the Gospel I enjoy.
I can maintain the perspective of the Gospel and live in light of future glory though this world fades and evil continually proves the Bible true.
Ultimately, like the storms outside my window, the social storms surrounding our world point both to our insignificance as well as the weight and glory of He who is, in control of even the social winds and waves.
We should not be surprised when these storms come. They should stir us. Their inherent danger and weight should be understood. We must be diligent and prepare. We must warn and protect. We must not shrink back from a reality greater than ourselves or pretend we are somehow immune from the effects of social gales.
But let these storms give us the same reminder and sense of fearful awe as their natural namesake.
Let them remind us we are small and God is big.
We have been given shelter even in an age of storms.
This too shall pass.
God is big.
Sometimes we can do nothing greater than thank God that He is.
by Stacy Neuschaefer | Aug 22, 2017
I watched the coverage of the eclipse for two hours on television. I watched the hype before the totality, the amazement of less than three minutes of darkness, the “diamond” with the reappearing, and even the disappointed crowd where the clouds covered the awe-inspiring moment. Honestly, it would have been great to be one of the people watching the total eclipse. But it would have taken more. More time, more money, more preparation.
Similarly, many people will never experience the life-changing decision to follow Jesus because of “more.” It costs more. It costs living for self in exchange for living for the One who created the eclipse. It costs living for solely worldly pleasures for living with an eternal perspective. It may even cost one’s physical life. Some count the cost and turn the other way.
I can give many excuses for not watching the eclipse. The bottom line: I was not prepared. Yes, I had plenty of warning and plenty of opportunities to prepare. I even looked up how to make a safe eclipse-watching contraption out of cereal box, never making it. Likewise, you can know how to take a step of faith to follow Jesus, but never take the final step.
I can say I saw the eclipse. Debatable, I know. However, I can never say I experienced it. Therefore, I missed it. Comparably, many people will say they know Jesus. They know about His virgin birth, His miracles and even His death on the cross and resurrection. But knowing about historical facts is not the same as personally knowing Jesus. People miss Jesus.
I know some people who lived their lives today as if there was not an eclipse. It’s not that they did not know about it. It’s that they didn’t care. I’m not judging them. I get it. It may not interest everyone. For this analogy, many people do the same about Jesus. Yes, they may have heard the story about how He offers forgiveness for those who put their trust in Him. But, they simply do not care.
For those who missed the eclipse this week, you may get another chance. Our amazing, orderly, creator God has formed the atmosphere with precision to allow humans to predict the next eclipse. However, we are not promised tomorrow. One year from now, missing the eclipse will be very unimportant to me, not affecting my day-to-day life. On the other hand, missing Jesus will have eternal effects. No worries if you missed the eclipse, but don’t miss Jesus.
For more information: https://peacewithgod.net/but-have-eternal-life/
by Christi Roselle | Aug 21, 2017
The noise of this world is sometimes so loud, it is often hard to hear the voice of God.
Searching for a topic to submit, I found myself struggling. I had begun with prayer, but admittedly between kids, work and the news, I was distracted in that prayer. I hadn’t even opened my Bible yet. One could say, I had not prayed in earnest.
A million topics came to mind. All controversial. All noise of this world. Then I escaped to a place of solitude outside, prayed in earnest for God to help me find my words, and opened my Bible.
I am one who believes God guides us when we randomly open the Bible if we are willing to listen. I first opened to Lamentations 1:7: “In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into the enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction.”
Well. Given the topics I was trying to avoid, I bookmarked this verse and proceeded to let my
Bible flop open to another verse. Hopefully one less controversial.
Proverbs 3:21 “My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment, do not let them out of your sight.”
My eyes glanced upward on the page.
Proverbs 3:13 “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.”
These verses were leading me somewhere, but all that kept coming to mind was the noise of this world I wanted to avoid today. I quickly wrote the words at the top of this blog. As I wrote, a locust began to loudly buzz. He went through his whole chorus, and I shook my head, annoyed, finding it ironic I was trying to escape the noise, and here it is chattering at me. I stared at the words I wrote:
The noise of this world is sometimes so loud, it is often hard to hear the voice of God.
Boom! There goes the locust again, as I read “the voice of God”.
It wasn’t hard to hear. In fact, it was so loud it hurt my ears. And it stopped when I recognized the voice of God was coming to me in a locust, an often vile creature who He typically sends in a plague.
Um. What exactly does that mean, God? Are you about to imbue upon me some righteous wisdom I may share with the world via a locust? Are you there? I’m listening now.
Silence.
No locust. No clarity. Alas, I am not one of His prophets after all. I will have no grand words to bestow upon you from Him, only my interpretation from my relationship with Him and what I know His clarity for me has been in the past.
When we earnestly call on Him for help, He answers. Loudly. We just need to be willing to recognize His voice when He speaks.
Even if it is through a locust.
by Caleb Gordon | Aug 17, 2017
Recently, these verses took on some new ideas for me.
I am a wanting factory. I want my way.
I want to be noticed. I want new stuff.
I just downright want.
This is a clear indicator that I need Jesus more than ever in my own life. I need Him more than I realize I need Him.
You see, when this message truly connects and it gets inside of my heart and not just my head, I truly will be a transformed man.
When Jesus is the end all be all in my life, I no longer have to make “my wants” a priority any longer because Jesus takes over those wants.
When Jesus becomes the ROCK of my life look where he leads me.
“He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:2-3)
What is sad is that I have read this, and I get it in my head, but I don’t make war on my own sinful nature the way I should, so, therefore, I tend to lack in the area of still water moments.
You see if this moves from just head knowledge to actual heartfelt application in my life, even when all hell breaks loose in my life, I won’t lose control. I don’t lose heart. Even when I’m walking through a dark valley in my life I don’t lose hope. Why? Because I’m no longer looking to this world, to myself, to my family, to my spouse, to anyone other than Jesus Christ for fulfillment.
And likewise, the moment I step outside of this alignment that the Scriptures outline is the moment that I lose the joy of the relationship with Jesus. Why? Because I’m looking to other things and people to bring me lasting joy, and that is a burden that they were never meant to carry.
When Jesus is our end all be all. We won’t want near as much!
He is more than enough!