“Everything has suddenly become minor issues except for basic survival.” - Missionary in Japan

In an email, one of my missionary friends in Japan wrote this last Saturday evening: “In our lives, everything has suddenly become minor issues except for basic survival.” To the families of the many thousands whose lives were lost, the scale of their grief is beyond my comprehension.  There are hundreds of thousands who lost everything they possessed, their livelihood and even the basic comforts of life now seem forever out of reach. 

This event raises the question in the minds of many people, “If there is a God, why did He allow the tragedy in Japan to happen?”

The Wrath of God View - “The wrath of God has finally come, bring it on, the time of repentance is over!”

Unfortunately, already some religious figures (such as the blogger quoted above), claiming to speak in the name of Christ, are announcing that this tragedy is the judgment of God on the idolatry of Japan.

Beside the added pain and grief this adds to the families and friends of those suffering through these events, these words cause the name of Christ to be viewed with disdain by an unbelieving world, and make Christians appear to be uncaring and mean-spirited.  Comparisons to the attitudes of Islamic Jihadists soon follow and once again the cause of Christ is hurt.

I remember how grieved I was following the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans when Pat Robertson of the 700 Club claimed that God had told him this disaster was God’s judgment on the ungodly lifestyles that are glorified in that city.  I remember being grieved by the comments of Henry Blackaby (author of “Experiencing God”) following the South Asia tsunamis six years ago.  He said they were a result of God’s punishment on the nations who are persecuting Christians.

These kinds of statements do nothing to further the cause of Christ, but only serve to draw attention to the speaker, giving them a “minute in the sun” as a self-proclaimed voice of God.

It is certain that throughout history God has used natural disaster in judgment.  But my observation about the judging hand of God in natural disaster reveals a pattern that should not be ignored: 

• When God used natural disaster to judge Egypt, He first sent Moses to warn Pharaoh of the coming plagues.  Each plague was specific and was foretold by Moses. (Exodus 5-10)
• When God used natural disaster to judge those who opposed Moses within the congregation of Israel, Moses warned them that on the following day an earthquake would strike and the ground would open and only those who opposed him would be killed. (see Numbers 16)
• When God used natural disaster to judge Israel in the days of wicked king Ahab, he first sent Elijah to warn him: “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” (1 Kings 17:1)
• When God used natural disaster to judge Jonah for his rebellion, Jonah himself announced specifically why the storm had come and how long it would last: “Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.” Jonah 1:12

There are many more examples in Scripture where God has used natural disaster to judge sin, but the pattern in the Bible is pretty clear; each time God first sent a prophet to warn of the coming judgment, the warning was specific about what the judgment would be and when it would occur, and it happened just as they foretold.

We do not find “prophets” rising up after a disaster to announce it was God’s judgment.  No, the true prophets of God foretold it accurately and specifically.

While God may indeed still use natural disasters as judgment, I believe it is not our place to stand as a “Johnny come lately” and declare after the fact that a natural disaster is definitively the judgment of God.  Let the modern day “prophets” bind themselves to the Biblical standard for a prophet, which clearly said that if they are wrong once, they are always to be viewed as a false prophet, and nothing they say is to ever again be taken seriously. (In fact, in Old Testament times, false prophets were worthy of death!)

Are Natural Disasters Always because of the Judgment of God? 

Some natural disasters are simply what the name implies, natural disasters.  In Genesis 41-47 there was a severe famine of seven years length.  No where in the narrative are we told that this famine was a judgment from God.  But through the natural disaster, God used Joseph to lift high the name of the Lord and to save the nation of Egypt and the children of Israel from destruction in the famine.

In Acts 11:27-30, God warned the church in Antioch of a coming famine and the churches determined to send relief to the brethren in Judea.  (Had Agabus been the typical 700 Club “prophet” he surely would have used this as an opportunity to blast the Jews for having killed their Messiah!)  But, this was not a judgment of God on sin, it was a natural disaster.  And, it became an opportunity for the people of God to band together to help those impacted by the disaster.

Creation Itself is Groaning, Waiting for the Redemption of Christ

In a broader sense, we understand that even nature is under the curse of sin.  When God pronounced His judgment to Adam in the Garden, He said, “cursed is the ground for thy sake” (Genesis 3:17).  Romans 8:18-23 explains that our present sufferings will fade in light of the coming glory that will be revealed to us, and that we have an “earnest expectation” of our eternal redemption.  The earth also awaits this redemption: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain until now” (v.22). 

Until God remakes this old earth anew, Natural Disasters will be a part of our existence.

Even in Disaster, the Grace of God is Evident

As horrific as the earthquakes and tsunami were to the people of Japan, can you see the grace of God in its impact?  Had the disaster centered on Tokyo, we could be hearing of millions of lives lost, instead of thousands.  Had Hurricane Katrina swept across the tip of Florida in the population centers around Miami, or veered up the eastern seaboard to land in the greater D.C. area, how much greater might the loss of life had been?  When the 1989 earthquake struck the California bay area, had it not been in the middle of a World Series baseball game, the freeways would have been jammed with commuters instead of lightly travelled.  When Mt. Saint Helens blew out the side of the mountain in 1980, it exploded out the side of the mountain facing the sparsely populated Eastern Washington, instead of towards the south onto Portland, or to the north onto Seattle.

Turning Men’s Hearts to God

It is my prayer that this disaster will be used to turn men’s hearts to God.  I am praying that the Gospel witness of faithful believers in Japan, missionaries and laymen, will be used in a miraculous way to impact many, many souls for Christ. 

Right now, there are many who may realize that their prayers to ancestors or handmade idols cannot offer peace, comfort, or hope. 

But, the living Spirit of God, who is named the Comforter, can minister grace, peace, hope and healing to the soul.

As my missionary friend wrote, ““In our lives, everything has suddenly become minor issues except for basic survival.”  Real tragedy surrounds them.  Real pain is evident in the hearts and lives of the Japanese people.  Real challenges face them.  But, the Real God cares, and we can be God’s hands and feet to help meet their very real needs. 

 Pray for our missionaries.  Pray for the churches that are ministering in Japan right now.  Pray for the rescue efforts.  Pray for wisdom and the grace of God for those battling the nuclear power plant issues.  Pray for basic necessities to be provided… running water, electricity, food.  Pray for our military personnel who are providing assistance.  Pray for our disaster relief organizations who have been mobilized to help. Pray for the financial needs, and if you are able to do so, give financially to disaster relief. 

And, today, hug your wife or husband, mom or dad, and your children, and thank God for the precious gift of life He has granted you for one more day.