Introduction
I have hesitated even writing about this topic.
Talking about God and natural disasters can cause a lot of furor and make people polarize to opposite ends of the spectrum.
On one hand, we have the ding dongs at Westboro Baptist Church celebrating that God is smiting the East coast, and on the other end we have people totally ignoring any divine attribute that might be going on with natural disasters claiming it is all because of global climate change.
As most of you know, I try not to swing to extremes. I have found them counterproductive and destructive to our Christian walk.
Is God Punishing Us For Our Sin?
The initial knee-jerk reaction from many people is to assume that God is causing these natural disasters as some form of punishment for our sin.
This is the reaction that those that follow Westboro Baptist Church have.
They have an authoritarian view of God who is a dictator that smites sinful humans if they don’t behave properly. (Of course, this is dictated by what those who hold this view believe are abominations in the sight of the Almighty.)
However is this a biblical viewpoint?
If you look at the Old Testament one could very well come to this conclusion.
However that all changed with the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ paid the price for man’s sin.
Romans 5:6-10 & 18-19
New King James Version (NKJV)
Christ in Our Place
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Now before you think that I am teaching some kind of Universalism, let me explain.
Salvation is not universal. It must be accepted by choice. That choice must be made by each and every individual.
It takes a recognition that a person has been a sinner and doing wrong. It takes repentance from that sin and deciding to walk in the opposite direction.
It takes placing their trust in the price that Jesus paid on the cross.
It takes the new birth.
Until the time a person dies, they have the opportunity to make that choice.
Once they die, then the choice was made not to accept what was provided by God and the penalty and consequences of their sin fall back on them.
God has postponed pouring His wrath out on the world for sin until what is called the great tribulation.
Revelation 6:17
New King James Version (NKJV)
17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
He has done this because, until that time, salvation is still available to those that are living.
It would be unjust to pour out His wrath upon those that either had the price paid for their sin, or who would have the price paid for their sin.
It would make the price paid by Jesus null and void.
Why Are We Seeing More Natural Disasters And Calamities?
If God is not angry with us and smiting us for our sin, then why are we seeing more natural disasters and more hardship?
This is where the balance comes in.
You see just because God is not pouring out His wrath does not mean He has to keep blessing and protecting us.
God’s blessings and protection are still based upon whether or not we are behaving in a way that is pleasing to Him.
He has promised that a nation who makes Him their Lord will be blessed.
Psalm 33:12
New King James Version (NKJV)
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
The blessings of God are conditional.
When we do what is right in His eyes, He gives us good things.
When we don’t then we don’t receive those good things.
It is no different with our earthly fathers if they are good fathers. When we do things that please our earthly father, we end up being rewarded in some way.
I used to give my kids a bonus when they got A’s and B’s on their report cards.
God blesses individuals and people when they get A’s and B’s on their report cards.
The protection of God is conditional as well. It all depends on whether we are looking to God for that protection.
Psalm 121
New King James Version (NKJV)
God the Help of Those Who Seek Him
A Song of Ascents.
121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
As you can see, God will help those that are looking to Him for help.
That help comes in the form of protection from things that we cannot control. Natural disasters and calamities are things that we cannot control.
So to answer the question as to why we are seeing more natural disasters and hardships we need only to ask the question,
“Are we still making God our Lord in our nation?”
Are we still seeking Him for His help or have we walked away?
I think the answer is quite obvious.
For the last 50 years, our nation has told God that He is not welcome in our schools, our public institutions, and in our government.
We have told Him that we will be the masters of our destinies and the master of the destinies of the unborn.
We have told Him that we will decide what our sexual attractions will be.
We have told Him that man will be the Lord of our nation.
As such, God is a gentleman.
If He is not wanted, then He will back off. He will take His blessing and protection and give it to those that want Him.
So Has the Almighty had enough?
Honestly, I think He has had enough of being rejected and we are paying the consequence.
Sincerely,
Pastor Duke
