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IN retrospect from last year’s devastation:

Where Is God?

I was devastated. I don’t have families over there where the cyclone hit (thank God for that), but still I am devastated. However, my heart breaks for those families who have gone through that ordeal – the fear of their lives, the grief over their losses, the bafflement of the occurrences, the pain over the whole story. While the world watches, grieves and send their help and condolences for the Filipinos affected by Cyclone Yolanda, I could almost imagine questions and scepticism towards God.

The big questions is, where is God in this?

I, myself, thought this was a difficult question to answer. Where is God in all this devastation? Why is this happening? If God is a good God, why did He allow such suffering to happen?

I am pretty sure that I will be hammered with this question as I have been hammered with similar issues in discussions with friends such as why good people get sick and why bad things happen to good people and why God is so unfair.

All these question hurt me because these are not questions of why this and why that. In fact these questions are issues of not knowing who God really is.

If people look at this as a fault of God then people see God as a tyrant, a bully, an evil God who takes joy in the destruction of His people. But these are all the opposite because God is a God of love, of justice and of mercy that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem the world.

Genesis 1:31
King James Version (KJV)
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.

The truth is that God created everything good until evil came into this world because of the pride and greed of the Angel Lucifer that tainted mankind. I always thought more of the Genesis story with Adam and Eve that it wasn’t simply a disobedience issue when Eve disobeyed God when He said not to eat fruit from the tree of life. It was actually as sin of not trusting God, an insult of God’s very character because God’s character is that He loves His children very much.

Another reason that my heart can conjure with such devastation is that through it people may know that there is a God. Contrary to popular beliefs that because of the pains and the losses that there is NO GOD, the truth is there is a GOD because God is in the business of restoration and revival.

And if people question how they could trust God despite all this, let us not forget Job who (in reading the book), lost His family, wealth and health yet even if his suggested to curse God, Job instead glorified God.
Job 13:15
King James Version (KJV)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

I reckon there is no excuse for us because Job is not some supernatural man with psychological problems. He was a real man in a very real Bible that showed an exemplified faith and trust for God who created the universe.
Philippians 4:19
King James Version (KJV)
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I believe that though hearts may be broken and lost right now, they would find light that God is there for them. They will realize that God is for them and that He would restore them with His glory. There may be losses but God will return double and triple if their hearts would come to Him. They would see that God is truly more than enough for them and that His perfect peace will suffice.

Finally, I just really believe that this is a call for salvation, a wake up call for everyone of us that the world is not getting any younger and that the days of this earth is fast tracking. Every minute of the day comes closer to the return of Jesus Christ. Every sign wether political, economical, biblical and natural points to the very close coming of Jesus Christ. The question is, are we prepared and are we working double time for the harvest.

Though the Philippines’ situation seem dire and gloomy, there is hope in the Risen King that if through this devastation arises hearts of faith, hearts of generosity, hearts to come to God and have a relationship with Him the purpose is met and purpose is realigned from what some may call perhaps the wrath of God to the mercy of Jesus the Saviour.

Though such, indeed, salvation comes.

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Posted by mom60655, 10th July 2014