In light of the natural disasters occurring over the summer of 2017:
All
I see right now on my facebook feed or in the paper is the havoc that natural
disaster is having on our country. Half of it is drowning while half is
burning. The devastation in Texas is heartbreaking as is the destruction
happening in my own state of Montana. In each area, there are stories of
injuries, wreckage, loss, and, ultimately, a sense of hopelessness. As
Christians, we often have to face the world with that ever looming question of,
“if God is in control, then why is there so much hurt, so much pain, and so
much suffering?” Why does he allow Texas to be swept away by rain and Montana
to suffocate under fire and smoke?
No answer here. However, as I look around, I’m noticing something. We
human beings are pretty proud creatures. We were told to “subdue” the earth; however,
somewhere in that transition we got the idea that we had ultimate control.
Like a child who is handed an ounce of responsibility, we suddenly thought that
we were big enough take over the whole job. Well, it’s in times like these we
realize how wrong we were. Thank the Lord for the advances in technology which have
given us more knowledge about the world, allowing us to better protect
ourselves and it. That said, when disaster happens, we are shamefully put in
our place. We suddenly realize that we are just beings after all, not little
gods roaming the earth. When fire and flood subdues the earth, while we can and
should do something about it, in the end, we are left to pray for something
mightier than ourselves to intervene.
Perhaps
that is why God sends fire and rain. It wouldn’t be the first time. So, I don’t
know why there is so much hurt, but it seems to me that we can recognize one
thing in the midst of it all; we are not ultimately in control and thank God
for that. Nature is God’s way of reminding us who is Sovereign, and it is not
us.
So
pray for Texas, pray for Montana, but pray with the knowledge that God owes us
nothing. Instead, this beautiful place we have to take care of is due to his
grace, love, and mercy. As is everything else that is good.
