Why, God, a massive Tsunami Devastation?

by Mercy Simson, http://www.simsonwolfgang.de/html/articles.html

My heart wails for the loss of thousands of my country men, 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 anymore 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 secured?”

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 thousands of 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 one the judgement throne ... an 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 are hit by the Dec 26^th Tsunami definitely have still a majority of inhabitants who worship false Gods, including Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists. 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 blood shed of the 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 Tsunamis. Again and again he warned, but it wasn't taken serious. 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 embrace to 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 secular business world do. We have set our hearts on dishonest gain and extortion.We copy the secular 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 as 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 in. 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. Firstly, God sends water as a judgement sign to wash away those things that are not built on the right foundation (Mt 7,24-28). Secondly, water is a sign of blessing for the nourishment of new plants to grow.

4. Seek His face. Let us make every effort to beg God to show us his face and not his back to his people. There is still a lot to be done.

5. Scream 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 scream out to Him for deliverance from the bondage of a dictating Self, asking God forever to cater to our ever-increasing “needs”. 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 time.