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Stories. Where Is God in Natural Disasters? In this interview with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, originally published in the wake of the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, the pastor and author answers questions about God’s role in natural disasters. In the wake of loss and disaster, we struggle to understand how a God who is all-powerful and all-knowing ...
Jul 24, 2023 · In Christ, God is “reconciling all things to himself” (Col. 1:20). Earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters remind us that creation groans to be redeemed and renewed, along with the rest of humanity (Rom. 8:19-23). At such times, we can remember there will be a day when this present creation will give way to the new creation (Isa ...
- We live in a broken world. The Bible tells us that when sin entered the world, all of nature was cursed. Because of this, death is a promised component of this life and, to put it simply, bad things happen.
- God is sovereign. We could argue whether God causes natural disasters or simply allows them to happen, but the only conclusion we can draw from Scripture is that nothing in nature happens outside of God’s providence.
- God can be trusted. Many people find it easy to trust God when they focus on phrases like “God is good” or “God is love,” but we must remember also that “God is just.”
- There is still joy to be had. For many, surviving a natural disaster means more than losing material possessions; it means losing loved ones. Under such circumstances, it might seem difficult to experience joy while facing such devastation, but feeling joy in the face of suffering is not to deny pain.
- God Cannot Be Divorced from Disasters
- God Employs The Elements of Nature in The Operation of The World
- God Employs The Elements of Nature in Opposition to Evil
- God Cannot Be Discredited by Disasters
- God Cannot Be Defined by Disasters
- God Cannot Be Defeated by Disasters
I think many Christians often adopt a sort of deism in an attempt to get God off the hook. It allows us to affirm the goodness of God in the face of terrible evils simply by saying it’s not His fault. He created a good world, and He should not be blamed if it goes wrong. But Scripture is clear that God is actively at work in the universe (Job 37). ...
The Bible contains many passages refuting the idea that God set nature in motion and now lets it run as it will. Many Scriptures present a hands-on God intimately involved in controlling and sustaining all events in the natural world.
In the Bible, God employs natural disasters as punishment: the flood sparing Noah's family (Genesis 6-8), Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction (Genesis 19:24), Egypt's plagues (Exodus 7-12), and addressing disobedience in Amos 4. If we're ever tempted to separate God from natural disaster, Amos 4:6-11 should stop us in our tracks. We assume more than w...
Some people argue that disasters prove God doesn't exist. However, once an atheist, C.S. Lewis saw disasters as evidence for God's existence. He questioned how we could perceive injustice without an inherent sense of justice. The presence of justice and perfection in an imperfect world suggests a good God exists. Large-scale deaths in disasters don...
After disasters, people will say something like, “I could never believe in a God who would allow such awful things to happen to His creatures.” These people desire a "helicopter parent" God who guarantees safety and happiness. However, God disciplines us for our growth. Despite the world's evils, there is also much good. We should consider both whe...
We might occasionally feel that God's plans have been disrupted when disasters occur. Let's permit God to address this topic Himself: Disasters can make it seem like God isn't in control. We must remember that our limited view can't grasp the entire pattern. In moments like these, it's essential to recall Romans 8:28, which tells us, "We know that ...
Oct 11, 2024 · As well, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 explains how after the trauma of a disaster, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”. Hebrews 13:5 assures us that God promises to never leave us or forsake us. So even though we don’t think or sense God ...
Feb 9, 2023 · God created the whole universe and the laws of nature (Genesis 1:1). Most natural disasters are a result of these laws at work. Hurricanes, typhoons, and tornados are the results of divergent weather patterns colliding. Earthquakes are the result of the earth’s plate structure shifting. A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake.
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Jun 17, 2021 · Changing Our Focus. Natural disasters challenge the Christian belief that God is good because we are fixated on ourselves; on being satisfied with God’s answers, as though he answers to us. The enormous loss of life resulting from a pandemic, or a tornado is terrible, tragic.
