Jeremiah 44:22
So that the Lord could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I know it’s hard to believe, but there will be “Christians” who crawl out of the woodwork and use this scripture and the surrounding verses of Jeremiah 44 to claim that the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma this week were a result of God’s impatience with His people. Nothing could be farther from the truth! For starters… we have to consider all Scripture in context. This was an Old Testament declaration…before God sent Jesus to live among us and die on the cross for our sins. Things were different before Jesus arrived. God used a variety of methods to get the attention of His people… and there were dozens of rituals and sacraments required to demonstrate love and loyalty to our Heavenly Father. And on more than one occasion, God had to use incredibly drastic measures to get the attention of His people. ALL of that changed with the coming of Jesus.
We cannot pick and choose which verses we will utilize in order to make a point. As Christians, we have been given a new life in Christ. He took our sin and changed the Spiritual landscape forever. Does this mean that God doesn’t grow impatient – even angry – with us from time to time? Absolutely not! Are we accountable for our actions and disobedience? Most certainly! But God has plenty of ways for dealing with us. While He could very well wipe all of us out in a tornado, earthquake, or other natural disaster, this is not how He operates!
While I do not believe that God directly causes natural disasters to befall us, I believe that there are times when He allows these horrific tragedies to occur. Why? Is God punishing us for our sins? I don’t think so! This is my own interpretation, but here’s how I see it… I envision Satan and his armies stirring the pot… twisting the winds, aggravating the bowels of the earth to cause earthquakes and tsunamis, drying out the land in a catastrophic drought – or flooding it with a seemingly unending water supply. And all the while, he is saying, “Look, people! God is punishing you! Look what He is doing!”
Meanwhile, I believe that God is twice as busy… orchestrating blessings and positive outcomes…sparing countless lives, bringing people together in ways they never imagined, drawing attention to the needs and burdens of others, and creating beauty out of chaos. We’re seeing that already in the news reports…as the focus shifts from the horror of the tragedy to the wonders and strength of the human spirit, the love and kindness of neighbors and strangers, and the grace of God as people recover and rebuild. I know you may ask, "Why were some allowed to perish?" And I honestly don't know. But I know that God did not allow this without a purpose - whether we ever readily see it or not.
In the days to come, you will no doubt hear someone suggest that God did this… that He caused this latest natural disaster. Don’t believe it! I urge you to combat such thinking by speaking positively about the present and future results. Share stories of hope and courage… how and where God is at work! Donate to the Red Cross and other service organizations and speak of reconstruction and the power of God to bring about blessings in the midst of such tragedy. We’ve already seen residents of Moore, Oklahoma - and the entire state - on camera stating that “we’ll be back.” The news reporters have acknowledged that some of the first people on the scene were church members. I heard two well-known national news anchors note that even before FEMA representatives arrived, the “Baptist Men” were there passing out meals!
I firmly believe that God will someday look at all of us and ask, “What did you do to help?” He will mete out his impatience with us by withholding blessings and opportunities… and He might even allow our home to be knocked off its foundation. But God will show us how to overcome any and all adversities… and He will help us every step of the way. At the end of our lives when we stand before Him as born-again Christians, God will not ask us to account for our sins any more than He will want to know how we handled challenges and adversity as His disciples. He will hold us accountable for how we dealt with anything and everything the devil threw our way… including physical and material destruction, mental and emotional exasperation, and even loss of life.
God will allow our faith and patience to be tested. He wants to see whether we are “all in” for Him… or just along for the ride. He’s looking for growth and increased strength through patient endurance… Christians who pick themselves up by the bootstraps, dust themselves off, and become better Disciples because of their experiences – and their faith in Him to persevere. When your day of judgment arrives… what will you have to say for yourself? How will you answer when God reviews your life? Isn’t it time to start trusting Him and recognizing His power and presence? Will you allow this latest disaster to drag you down… or strengthen your faith? Will this day in your Discipleship be one of tragedy… or triumph?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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