Does God Send Disaster

According to Wikipedia ‘Act of God’ is a legal term for events outside of human control, such as sudden floods or other natural disasters, for which no one can be held responsible. In other words, if we don’t understand it and/or we can’t find any humans to blame for it, then God must have done it.

Although the logic is highly flawed, the truth is when we hear that yet another disaster has happened, most of us wonder what part, if any, God had in it. Did he do it? Did he allow it? Why didn’t he prevent it? People in the media know that we wonder. Ever notice that when disaster strikes and some preacher somewhere seems to say, “God did it” it becomes front page news.

If we wonder, then what do we say to our children when they sit with us and see the TV images of rescue workers pulling damaged or dead humans from the aftermath? What do we say when they hear the report that Reverend so-and-so said God sent the killing blow?

The purpose of this blog is to provide parents with a little help giving their kids a basic, uncomplicated, Biblical explanation. Below is a break down of some key points that are involved in the bigger issue. They’re meant to be talking-points that you can print out and discuss with your kids.

1. Just because it happened doesn’t mean God came up with the idea or even approved of it. James 1:13 says,

“And remember that anyone who wants to do wrong should never say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.”

If your child got beaten up at school you would never say, “I wonder what God was trying to teach you?” That bully was sinning and God simply had nothing to do with it. James goes on to say that evil desires are the cause of sin and its effects.

The Bible also teaches that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7), meaning that many things that happen in our lives aren’t a result of God’s intervention, but of our choices and actions. The book of Proverbs teaches that a lazy man will have difficulty getting ahead in life (Proverbs 6:6 – 11). None of us would be silly enough to tell a lazy person that God was causing him to go without. No, we’d politely ask him how the job hunting was going.

The Bible also records that the devil temped Jesus and stirred up wicked people against Paul, and that Jesus set people free who were possessed by demons. God did not author these things, the devil did. (Luke 11:14 – 20, John 10:10)

These and many other Biblical examples show us that things happen in this world and in our lives daily that aren’t authored by God.

2. We live in a broken world. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world with all its devastating effects. The Bible teaches that not only was man affected, but so was the actual creation.

“For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, everything on earth was subject to God’s curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:19 – 22 NLT)

Our planet is broken and being further diminished as time goes by, by death and decay.

Jesus and his disciples were caught in a storm so fierce that the disciples thought they were all going to die. Jesus spoke to the wind and waves and all was calm. Jesus wasn’t bothered by the storm nor did he say it had anything to do with God. The storm was against them, not for them and Jesus took care of it. (Matthew 8:23 – 27)

The Apostle Paul was shipwrecked in a storm (Acts 27). He was a prisoner and was being taken to Rome. He warned the ship’s captain that if they set sail they would be shipwrecked, but he didn’t listen. Afterwards, Paul told the crew that they should have listened to him and not set sail. Yes, God ended up using the circumstances (Romans 8:28) to bring salvation to the crew, and to the people on the island of Malta, but he didn’t send the storm.

Jesus talked about a tragedy that happened in his time (Luke 13:1 – 5). A tower fell on eighteen men and killed them. The Jewish people believed that when tragedy struck it was God’s judgement. Jesus contradicted that belief and said that their deaths were not directly caused by their sins. In other words, God didn’t do it.

Jesus told us something interesting about famines and earthquakes when he was talking about the things that were to happen before his return.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pangs. (Matthew 24:7, 8 NIV)

Jesus said that these things would come, but he didn’t say that they were sent by God. He said they were like the contractions a woman first has that signals that the baby is on the way. It’s interesting that Paul used the same picture as Jesus did when he was talking about creation being subject to the curse in Romans eight, “...all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth…”

• It’s estimated that an earthquake registering 7 or more happens somewhere in the world every three weeks, and moderate ones every three days. Each day on our planet, seismographs register almost 300 earthquakes of magnitude three or greater.
• The planet experiences an estimated 16 million storms annually and about 80 tropical cyclones, one-third of which achieve hurricane status.
• There are 500 active volcanoes worldwide. There are about 60 major volcanic eruptions annually, and two or three of those are huge and violent.
• There are between 100 – 150 extreme floods annually, worldwide.

It would be biblically and logically silly for us to conclude that God actively ’caused’ each of these natural occurrences. The earth is out of whack because of the curse that resulted from original sin, and the birth pangs will continue until Jesus returns and makes us a new one.

3. Humankind plays a part. Some recent court cases have challenged that a disaster was an ‘Act of God’ because there was good reason to speculate that man’s activities were the direct cause. Here’s what Wikipedia says in their article about ‘Act of God’:

“Recently, human activities have been identified by engineers as root causes of events until now considered natural disasters. In particular: – water pressure in dams releasing geological fault (earthquake in China) – geothermal injections of water provoking earthquakes (Zurich, Switzerland, 2003 – currently on trial).”

Hurricane Katrina was one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history. The damage and loss of life was huge and awful. However, the biggest loss of life occurred in New Orleans which flooded because the levee system failed.

Here’s another thing to consider. Through the centuries, certain areas have been wiped out by floods or volcanoes or earthquakes multiple times. It seems we have short memories. Once the pain of the devastation is gone, we go back to the side of the volcano, or to the unstable earth that moved violently under the earthquake, or to the area known for it’s hurricanes and we rebuild betting (I suppose) that it won’t happen again in our lifetime. At least now, in many places, building codes are being upgraded to help more people survive in areas that are prone to disaster. However, it’s hard to blame God when we keep building our homes on the proverbial sand, something Jesus said was unwise.

Many have asked if God had anything to do with what happened on 911 in New York. That answer is easy; the men who were responsible, committed mass murder which is sin. Again the book of James clearly tells us that God does not sin nor does he tempt (cause) people to sin. Nine-eleven was the result of man’s hate and/or misguided intentions, not God’s judgement. We would never say that a suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed three innocents was orchestrated by God. So why would we say that God orchestrated the attack on the towers in New York?

4. God’s voice in judgement is clear. There are many examples of God’s judgement in the Bible. These judgements have several similarities that we can learn from. First of all, they serve as examples. Secondly, God clearly revealed his intent and purpose for them. Next, the righteous were always spared. Finally, they had more to do with his intervention to keep his plan for humankind on track than they did the individuals or cities or nations involved.

The natural disasters of today do not fit the Biblical pattern for God’s judgement. They cannot serve as an example without a clear message from God, that he’s involved and why.  There have been no clear messages from God in regards to these disasters. God’s a good communicator, so one guy in a church meeting somewhere who thought God showed him that God was going to judge New York or New Orleans, doesn’t cut it. Also, in all of these natural disasters, the Christians (the righteous) aren’t (as a whole) set apart and spared. God knows the difference between the righteous and the wicked; a birth pang from a broken planet does not. Finally, God’s plan for mankind is on track; the gospel is being preached throughout the world and disciples for Christ are being raised up. We are heading towards Jesus’ second coming with God being patient, not wanting any to perish (2 Peter 3:9). These events are the birth pangs Jesus spoke of, not specific judgements by God.

Jesus talked about the cities in his time being judged. However, he was clear that the judgment would take place in the final judgment when he returned. (Matthew 10:15, 11:20 – 24, 12:38 – 42)

Jesus also told a parable about the Kingdom, known as ‘The Wheat and The Weeds.’ In it he says that the wheat (the righteous) and the weeds (the wicked) are to be allowed to grow together until the final judgment, and then they would be separated. (Matthew 13:24 – 30)

5. God is speaking to the world today through his Son.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. (Hebrews 1:1, 2 NIV)

God’s message to today’s world is one of God’s love, grace, and salvation through Christ. Peter tells us that he’s being patient, stalling off the final judgment because he wants all to come to salvation. The gospel only contains two mentions of judgment. The first one happened on the cross; the world was judged for it’s sins (John 12:30) and Jesus paid the penalty. Secondly, we will all be judged at the end of this age by how we responded to what Jesus did.

I’m not saying that God cannot or will not judge when and how he sees fit, however, he has revealed his plans to us already, and those plans are to speak to the world in this age with the Gospel message, not with judgment.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16, 17 NIV)

6. A Kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ time said that the only reason he could cast out demons was because the devil gave him the power to. Jesus pointed out how absurd this was by using common logic.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ”Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? (Matthew 12:25, 26)

When disaster strikes, two things happen; the survivors cry out to God and the compassionate run to help. If you talk to survivors of a major disaster you’ll find that people don’t call out to God because they think he’s judging them. They call out because they feel so small and vulnerable and they instinctively call on the only one they know can help. Christians who hear about the disaster respond with prayer, money, help and kindness. The earth pangs, and God and his people start loving and helping.

Forgive me for the simple logic, but I’m following Jesus’ example here. If God was punishing New York or New Orleans or Haiti, would he be there to help afterwards? Does he destroy so he can then build up. Even God’s Kingdom can not survive if it’s divided against itself. When God judged cities in the Old Testament there was nothing left to clean up. No people were sent to help, and the last minute prayers of those judged did not result in rescue.

The earth pangs because it’s fallen and subject to the curse. When it pangs big time we are all reminded of our frailty and our need for God’s help. Then we, as Christians, have yet another opportunity to reach out and show those affected by it, God’s love.

When sharing these things with your children, be careful to deal with their fears. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is holding everything together until the last day (Hebrews 1:3) so there’s no need to be afraid that the whole planet will fall apart. If you live in an area that is prone to some kind of natural disaster, educate yourself and your kids as to what to do when trouble strikes and follow local instructions for safeguarding your family and for being prepared. Most importantly, pray with your children and ask God for his protection and then thank him for his protection. We live in a fallen world, but God has promised that he will help us through when we trust him (Psalm 91).

Natural disasters are not ‘Acts of God’. When our children understand this, it’s much easier to trust him through a disaster if they ever need to. If a child is taught that God is causing the destruction all around them, it’s hard to trust him. However, if they can picture the Lord right there beside them, helping them through something that he did not cause, and does not want them to be hurt by, it’s much easier to trust.