Jesus once said that God, “…causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45 NIV) To put it another way, the followers of Christ are not immune from the effects of the weather or other things which occur in nature. How should we respond when we are caught up in a natural disaster? What can we do to minimize the damage? How can we turn calamity into an opportunity to serve?
- Natural Disasters, 1-Effects of the Fall - Rain is an essential part of nature. Without rainfall, rivers and lakes would soon dry up and crops would wither and die. Without crops, people would soon be in danger of starvation. If the rain fails for a prolonged period of time the land turns into a desert waste where little, if anything, can live. … Continue reading
- Natural Disasters, 2-Why Does God Allow Us To Suffer In Natural Disasters? - It is a rare thing indeed when, somewhere around the world, someone is not suffering as a result of a natural disaster. In one part of the world a volcano erupts and covers houses and fertile fields with hot mud and ash. Somewhere else there is a landslide which destroys a road. In still another … Continue reading
- Natural Disasters, 3-Nothing Can Separate Us From The Love Of Christ - When we suffer as the result of some disaster; when our home is flattened by an earthquake or is washed away by a flood, our natural tendency is to ask, “Why is this happening to me? Doesn’t God see? Doesn’t He care what is happening to me?” These questions are nothing new. People have asked … Continue reading
- Natural Disasters, 4-Sharing With Those In Need - What is religion? Some would answer that question by saying that it is religion which defines our relationship with God. Others say that religion is believing certain teachings or doctrines. Still others think that religion consists of performing certain rituals such as fasting and saying prescribed prayers. According to the Bible however, religion is more … Continue reading
- Natural Disasters, 5-Prayer - We often feel quite helpless. Things happen which we feel are totally beyond our control. For example, the price of food goes up and suddenly, it is harder to feed our families. Or, a new regulation is passed which places an extra burden on us. No one consulted us about the price rise, we had … Continue reading
- Natural Disasters, 6-Preparation - Why are natural disasters so deadly? We read of entire villages being swept away by flood waters. We hear of cities being leveled by earthquakes. Elsewhere, people perish when their houses are destroyed by wild-fire. Why do so many people die in this way? Why are so many made destitute? One reason is that people … Continue reading
- Natural Disasters, 7-The Testing of Faith - How can we determine the quality of something? We can do it only by examining or testing it. For example, if you want to judge the quality of a piece of paper, you might look at its color, feel its texture, measure its dimensions and see how easily it tears. If you wanted to evaluate … Continue reading