The Lordship of Christ- Thinking Christianly about Tornadoes

What are we as Christians to make of the events of Wednesday? Tornadoes hit the South and over 300 people are known dead. Homes, businesses and churches destroyed. Lives altered. How do we think Christianly about these horrific events? Is hope possible when a tragedy of this magnitude takes place? Remember- the key to thinking biblically is to, not lean on man’s wisdom (much less our own), but to go to the Scriptures to see what God has to say!Two points are critical as we seek to think Christianly:

1. God is sovereign over ALL things:
Yes, even over what may look to us like random acts. Paul wrote that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph.1:11). Indeed, God is sovereign not only over the pleasantries of life, but also the terrible (Job 1-2; Habakkuk 1:5). Isn’t this what we see in the life of Jonah? Didn’t God get His attention? Or Paul who was caught in the storm and ended up ministering in Malta. In other words, even the events of weather were meant by God to fulfill His sovereign purpose and to bring about much good for His people. The God who created all things out of nothing in the space of six 24 hour days, providentially orchestrates all the events of history (even the bad ones) to fulfill His sovereign purpose. This can be tough for our finite minds to grasp. Even so, God is, and always shall be, the all-powerful, sovereign God of the universe!

God’s sovereignty also provides us with comfort as we think about death. Nature is not the determining factor regarding the death of individuals. It is God, by His sovereign hand, who gives life and takes it away (Job 1:21-22). The Psalmist (139:16) says our days are numbered. In other words, our days are numbered by God. Therefore, whether a person is four, twenty-four, or ninety-four, the days are numbered according to the sovereign will of God. This truth can be difficult to stomach when death is unexpected or tragic, but it is true nevertheless. This truth, believed, can provide significant comfort. Our lives are in the hands of God; therefore, we have no reason to live in fear.

2. God uses suffering to sanctify His people:
What a glorious promise! Suffering (even the worst kinds), deepens hope and strengthens faith. As Christ-followers, we are not only to endure suffering, but to “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:3-5). Suffering transforms us more and more into the image of Christ, causing us to ever increasingly hate sin and love righteousness. Read Romans 8:28-29. Though suffering may further harden the unbelieving against God, for the believing it means a stronger, more faithful walk with God.

As followers of Christ, we are called to think biblically about all that happens around us (Rom 12:2). Being mindful of the truths discussed above, we will live with understanding, faith, and love. When we respond to tragedies with God-centered confidence and the abiding peace of the Holy Spirit filling our souls, it is both an encouragement to fellow believers and “light” to those living in the darkness of unbelief. Praise the Lord!