God and the Tornado

          24 killed, thousands of homes and businesses destroyed.  People left with
     nowhere to go - homeless, without anything but the clothes they wear.
          The massive tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma this week left
     unimaginable destruction behind.

          Some questions may come to mind?  Where was God?  Did He have
     anything to do with the tornado, or was he powerless to stop it?

          Is God sovereign and in control of everything that happens in the world,
     or is Satan running things here on earth?

          Did God create, and then sit back and let "Mother Nature" be in charge of
     tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, and other natural disasters?

          Well, Satan doesn't have that kind of power or authority, and "Mother Nature"
     is a fictitious character who sells margarine on TV.


          If God is sovereign, then He is all powerful and in control of everything
     that happens in the universe, even tornadoes in Moore, OK. 


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          God IS sovereign, and here's what He had to say about who He is.


                                                     " ... so that from the rising of the sun
                                                       to the place of its setting men may
                                                       know there is none besides me.
                                        
                                                       I am the LORD, and there is no other.
                                                       I form the light and create darkness;
                                                       I bring prosperity and create disaster;

                                                       I, the LORD, do all these things.

                                                       You heavens above, rain down
                                                       righteousness; let the clouds shower
                                                       it down.

                                                       Let the earth open wide, let salvation
                                                       spring up, let righteousness grow with it;
                                                       I, the LORD, have created it."
                                                                                         Isaiah 45:6-8


          God controls everything, even calamities.


                                                      "When disaster comes to a city,
                                                        has not the LORD caused it?"
                                                                                          Amos 3:6b


          God's sovereignty does not negate His goodness, grace, and holiness.
     He is just in everything He does.


                                                     "And I heard the altar respond:

                                                         "Yes, Lord God Almighty,
                                                           true and just are your judgments."
                                                                                    Revelation 16:7


                                                                 **********


          Even though we don't understand why God allows bad things to happen to us,
     He is still holy and good and just, and we must trust Him to do the right thing.

          God is our Creator, and we owe everything we have to Him.
          Who are we to argue with God about the things He does?


                                                       "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker,
                                                         to him who is but a potsherd among the
                                                         potsherds on the ground.
                                                         Does the clay say to the potter,
                                                              'What are you making?'

                                                         Does your work say,
                                                              'He has no hands?'
         
                                                        Woe to him who says to his father,
                                                             'What have you begotten?'
                                                         Or to his mother,
                                                             'What have you brought to birth?'

                                                        This is what the LORD says --
                                                        the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:

                                                                    'Concerning things to come,
                                                                     do you question me about my
                                                                     children, or give me orders about
                                                                     the work of my hands?

                                                        It is I who made the earth, and created
                                                        mankind upon it.  My own hands stretched
                                                        out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.' "
                                                                                           Isaiah 45:9-12

                                                                                                


          Even Job, who lost almost everything he owned, kept his hope in God.
     Are we to have faith only when things go our way, but not when disaster strikes?


                                                            "[Job said], 'Though He slay me,
                                                              yet will I hope in Him."
                                                                                      Job 13:15a


                                                            "Shall we accept good from God,
                                                             and not trouble?"
                                                                                       Job 2:10b


          God's knowledge and understanding far surpass ours. 


                                                             "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
                                                              neither are your ways my ways,"
                                                                                  declares the LORD.

                                                             "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
                                                              so are my ways higher than your ways,
                                                              and my thoughts than your thoughts."
                                                                                           Isaiah 55:8-9


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          God works everything according to His purpose and will; even things that
     are painful and difficult to handle.


                                                            "In Him we were also chosen having
                                                             been predestined according to the plan
                                                             of Him who works out everything in
                                                             conformity with the purpose of His will."
                                                                                         Ephesians 1:11


          God works all things for the good of His children; the good things and the bad.



                                                             "And we know that in all things God
                                                              works for the good of those who love
                                                              Him, who have been called according
                                                              to His purpose."
                                                                                        Romans 8:28


          Sometimes, we may think that nothing good can come from a catastrophe, but
     God can make good come from the bad.
          In 2004, a tsunami struck Indonesia and 200,000 people were killed.  How could
      there be any good from something like that?
          In a particular region of the country, there were no churches, but because of the
      work of Christians helping the people recover from the devastation, there were 26
     churches there a year later.

                                                                **********

          The people of Moore, OK., may feel that all is lost because of what they've been
     through, but God is still working out His will there. 
          People are hearing the gospel, and seeing God work through His people's actions.
     Many thank God that He spared their lives even though they've lost almost everything
     else.

          God has a purpose for all things that happen; even tornadoes.
     How terrible would it be if disasters happened with no purpose. 
     They would be senseless tragedies, but God can bring good from any situation.

         
     Natural disasters are a result of God's providence and sovereign choice.
     He has a plan for His people's good, even though we may not understand it until
     we reach heaven.