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Why, God, a massive Tsunami Devastation?
by
Mercy Simson
[We
may never fully know the answer, but perhaps this will give us some
light,
some additional perspective, some further ground for searching our heart,
some ways to take some steps forward... - Ed.]
My heart wails for the loss of thousands of my countrymen, one third of
them being children. There is no word that can express the pains of the
orphans and widows, the poor and the needy. In a fraction of a second
people were made homeless and aliens in their own country. Those who
survied, have to leave their dead behind without any proper burial. We
do not know who to cry for, the dead or the suvivours. Their safety and
security is in ruins. This disaster is beyond mourning. All of a sudden
within a very few hours tens of thousand of people are dead and
billions of dollars of destruction struck various countries. Who can
explain this? What mind is able to grasp the situation? What technology
could have prevented such a destruction? Thousands of Christians are
lying face down in the throne room of God asking for his grace and
favour, forgiveness and love, help and healing. Many thousands are asking:
“Why has the Lord done such a thing? Is not God slow to anger and full
of compassion? Did he warn his people when they felt secure?”
Beyond the chocolate side
of God
We
have seen what a Tsunami can do. But how can a mere man stand in front
of God when He comes in his fury? Then there is no escape. So the
question is: "What has made God come in his fury?” For many this is
very difficult to comprehend. For so many years we have preached the
chocolate side of God. We have preached just what the people would like
to hear. We do not want to hear much about a God that is different from
a loving Dad. But He also is a consuming fire, the hammer that breaks
the rock, the double edged sword, the twisting of oaks, the flashes of
lightning, the jealous one, the father who disciplines, the winnowing
fork, the one on the judgement throne ... and the one who disciplines
those whom he loves. Yes, God can be provoked by our actions. What have
we, His people, done that He couldn't turn back His anger? Did we
escape but merely? And why were we spared?
When I bring the Ocean Depths over
you
This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
When I make you a desolate city, like
cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths over you
and its vast waters cover you then I will bring you down with those who
go down to the pit, to the people of long ago. I will make you dwell in
the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the
pit, and you will not return or take your place in the land of the
living. I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no
more. You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares
the Sovereign LORD.” Ezekiel26:19 – 21
"See
the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling
down on the heads of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn
back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to
come you will understand it clearly" Jer.23:19-20.
The
countries that were hit by the Dec 26th tsunami definitely still
have
a majority of inhabitants who worship false Gods, including Hindus,
Muslims and Buddhists. But "it rains on the just and the unjust."
In
India in one district alone 2000 Catholics who
were in a Sunday morning
mass were completly wiped out – all dead. The tourists, many of
them
who enjoy themselves limitlessly in Phuket, had no time to repent for
their deeds.
The continuing bloodshed of the host of murdered Christians in
Indonesia cries out to God from their ground.
In
all this, did the
small children deserve such a wrath of God? Let my bones tremble at the
holiness of God. I do not deserve any answer from the Almighty.
God has
spoken prophetically many times about earthquakes and tsunamis. Again
and again He warned, but it wasn't taken seriously. We all seem to love
prophecies of revival. But what of judgement and correction? Who are we
to choose to listen to one aspect – and reject the other?
For whom then to weep?
What a horrible thing has happened to us. How
did we get so remote from God's heart? He has called us to be his
servants to the lost world. But we have made him our servant for our
needs. We are supposed to do justice and be righteous.
But in His own church, God sees horrible injustice and unrighteousness.
Corruption and misuse of power is daringly evident. Instead of
correction and discipline we rather live a lie, a life of many double
standards. We take even the slightest correction as a groundless
criticism and personal attack. We seize those who warn us of the
dangers to come and we judge them. And even worse, we lead God's people
astray by using His own name.
We tolerate sin in the church. We baptise
cats and dogs, we bless homosexuals.We divorce and remarry. We live in
adulterous relationships. We are unwilling to reform our old ways. We
feel secured in our slippery path. We are unable to discern evil from
good, holiness from uncleanliness. We hardly see a difference between a
Christian and a Non-Christian in everyday life. We are full of greed
and lust.We are concerned about expanding our own ministries and
building our own panelled houses just like those in the business world
do.
We have set our hearts on dishonest gain and
extortion.We copy the world systems to run our conferences and schools.
We are so much involved in buying and selling Christian things. We run
fleshly profitable businesses by using what belongs to God. We have
given mammon an honourable place in our pious religious church systems.
We have made ourselves busy, making our own idols and worshipping what
our hands have created. We care less to stand in the council of God. We
have proclaimed our own soothing words to the people so that they will
like us and pay us. We have cared less to be just and right.
We have closed our eyes to the aliens in our
countries. We have refused to rescue the oppressed from the cruelty of
their oppressors. We have not paid attention to defend the cause of the
poor and the needy. We have done wrong to our own Christian brothers
and sisters. We have done enough destruction to His church and His
sheep. We follow an ungodly course. Because of us, ungodliness has
spread throughout our land. We have gone astray from our Creator. Who
shall we weep for, the dead or those who are being spared?
Therefore what do we do?
1. Wake up to build His
Kingdom – together. With how much more fury can God hurl us out of
his sight if we continue to take the days of grace for granted? As the
whole world is trying to hasten the humanitarian relief efforts and to
reconstruct the tourism industry, do we hear God hastening us all over
the world to wake up to build His Kingdom? It definitely is NOT the
time now to expand our one little church or mega church. It is now the
time to die for our human dreams, for our selfish lifestyles and to
live for God's purposes selflessly. He is not coming back with his
furious passion for our little church or our mega church. He comes for
HIS bride in his splendour and majesty. The body of Christ in each
region needs as much regionally coordinated efforts as it needs in the
Tsunami hit areas.
2.
Show people where the Rock is. We see heart-moving scenes in the
media. People running in panic in India because of false alarms, fear
gripped all over, grabbing their loved ones, no where to put their
hope. And, in then the next scene, we see women kneeling down in the
church, crying out their hearts to their father. When everyone else is
in despair and running to save themselves, only Christians know where
to run to – the Rock of Salvation. The living God is the only Hope and
the only Life. His love is stronger than the tsunami. His waves of
compassion are as high as the heavens. He even writhes in pain for his
people, He intercedes with deep sighs and grief.
3. Explain the water. God sends water
as a judgement, as a sign of His awesome power, and to wash away those
things that are not built on the right foundation (Mt 7:24-28). Water is also a sign of blessing and the
means of
nourishment for new life to come.
4. Seek His face. Let us make every effort to beg God to show
us His face and not his back. There is still a lot to be done. We need
to know Him - not just about Him. We
need His guidance, His heart. Then we can more clearly understand His
strategy.
5.
Cry out for our own deliverance. I believe the time has come for us Christians
to ask God to sift us with his double edged sword. Where we are in
bondage to human systems, trapped in demonic cages, let us learn to
cry out to Him for deliverance from the bondage of a dictating Self.
Let us realize with intensity and clarity that God Himself has needs
and plans, too. Our place is to help Him fulfill his Supreme plans, not
to make Him part of our small human plans. Then we will learn to fit
into His Story – even at the end of this age.
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Mercy Simson - From India, currently living
in Germany... Read more: www.simsonwolfgang.de
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