I was standing before my congregation on a Wednesday night. The prayer request
that surfaced from a member was innocent enough, but I doubt they had completely
thought through what they asked.
We lived fairly close to the South Carolina coast, and a dangerous hurricane was
heading in our direction. It wasn't the first time a hurricane threatened, nor
was it the first time I had heard such a request. "Let's pray that God will turn
the hurricane away from us." Though I acknowledged and commended the request, I
couldn't help but think: "So do you want him to send it someone else's way?"
Tragedies strike our personal lives periodically and our world daily. If God is
good and powerful, why doesn't he stop them? Jesus' disciples-and Jews in
general, were immensely proud of their city and Temple. But when they pointed
out the beautiful buildings to Jesus, he crushed their excitement. "Do you see
all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished.
Not one stone will be left on top of another!" (Matthew 24:2 NLT)
Typically, I define tragedy as something terrible. Car accident, natural
disaster, random killing, child abuse. Tragic occurrences. Their ultimate cause
is sin which not only affects the natures of individuals-leading them to commit
dastardly acts, but also the physical world-causing occasional unfortunate
weather patterns as well as deterioration.
God, however, can turn tragedies into triumph. Since he allows sin to
temporarily run rampant, tragedies come with the territory. As a parent can see
what a child cannot and thus acts in the child's best interest-even when it
doesn't seem good to the child, so God can do the same as our divine Parent. He
can bring something good from a terrible set of circumstances. Churches filled
because of 9/11, and an entire city repented when Old Testament Jonah preached
to them.
Rather than growing despondent over the why of tragedies, determine how you can
be a part of helping God bring good from it.
Prayer: Eternal God in heaven, when tragedy strikes, turn our eyes toward You so
we can receive the wisdom needed to respond in healthy and beneficial ways.
Martin Wiles
Hodges,
South Carolina, USA
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.