Where Was God?

Monday, August 18 2008 @ 05:12 PM PDT

Camille was born and raised in New Orleans. She realized that a lot of evil happens in the "Big Easy," but she grew up in a Christian family where she had often ignored the drinking, gambling and voodoo that so often characterizes the city. When her home was hit by Katrina, Camille's family lost everything. Even her friends were missing--most had to move and some even died. With everything she owned now gone, life, as Camille knew it, was suddenly altered forever. Without a home to live in, her family moved to Texas and tried to rebuild their lives.

One day Camille met some Christians who told her that Hurricane Katrina was the direct result of God's judgement on New Orleans. They said that God was unhappy with all the evil that took place in the city so He decided to destroy it to punish ungodly people. Camille wondered what she, as a Christian young woman, had done to deserve such a disaster? Why? If God is such a God of love, where was He during Hurricane Katrina? Sometimes, it helps us to view world events from God's perspective. Planet Earth is still in the middle of a huge war. Yes, Jesus won the victory at the cross. But Satan's horrible sin experiment is not over yet and it won't be over until Jesus comes back in the clouds. Just who is responsible for such horrible pain and suffering? Would God really hurt us to force us obey Him? Can you imagine the same Jesus who once calmed the raging sea, telling the waves to destroy people? No, God is the lifegiver and restorer, not the lifetaker. His enemy, Satan, is the destroyer...

As more and more disasters occur, it's important to realize that there are some things that God has no control over. God gave control of this earth to Adam and Eve, who in turn, gave it to Satan by default. Sometimes we struggle to understand why God has temporarily given up control of this earth. This is because God's government is not based on coercion. He desires no twisting of arms or forced obedience. God's government is based on freedom. Those who live with Him forever will live with Him only because they choose to be with God. The deceiver wants us to think that God. is vengeful and forceful. But God is love and love does not force. Someday in love, God will do His strangest act; God, the life-giver, will let go of those who refuse to be a part of Him. This too, is an act of His love--He simply will not force them to dwell with Him forever, but He will simply let them go. Meanwhile, God is allowing Satan to have his way with this old world--earthquakes, floods, starvation, tsunamis, cancer, murder, wars--you name it. But as more earth reeling events happen, Christians don't need to fear. We can put our trust in Jesus. He, who once calmed the angry seas, promises to never give us more than we can bear. Just as it is darkest before dawn things will look very bleak then in glorious light, shining across the ruined earth's landscape, our Our Creator, Jesus, will come in clouds and every eye will see Him! Every tear shed and every anguish once suffered will be erased in the light of His glory. God will make a new heaven and a new earth and all these former things will be forgotten. Even so come, Lord Jesus!

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