Tornadoes, Tsunamis, and the Mystery of Suffering and Sovereignty by Sam Storms

I’m inclined to think the best way to respond to the tragedy that struck our community today is simply to say nothing. I have little patience for those who feel the need to theologize about such events, as if anyone possessed sufficient wisdom to discern God’s purpose. On the other hand, people will inevitably ask questions and are looking for encouragement and comfort. So how best do we love and pastor those who have suffered so terribly?

I’m not certain I have the answer to that question, and I write the following with considerable hesitation. I can only pray that what I say is grounded in God’s Word and is received in the spirit in which it is intended.

I first put my thoughts together on this subject when the tsunami hit Japan a couple of years ago. Now, in the aftermath of the tornado that struck Moore and other areas surrounding Oklahoma City, I pray that those same truths will prove helpful to some. Allow me to make seven observations.

(1) It will not accomplish anything good to deny what Scripture so clearly asserts, that God is absolutely sovereign over all of nature. He can himself send devastation. Or he may permit Satan to wreak havoc in the earth. Yes he can, if he chooses, intervene and prevent a tornado, a tsunami, and all other natural disasters. In the end, we do not know why he makes one choice and not another. In the end, we must, like Job, join the apostle Paul and say: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:33-36).

(2) God is sovereign, not Satan. Whether or to what extent Satan may have had a hand in what occurred we can never know. What we can know and must proclaim is that he can do nothing apart from God’s sovereign permission. Satan is not ultimately sovereign. God alone is.

(3) Great natural disasters such as this tell us nothing about the comparative sinfulness of those who are its victims. Please do not conclude that the residents of Moore, Oklahoma, are more sinful than any other city that has not as yet experienced such devastation. Please do not conclude that we are more righteous than they because God has thus far spared us from such events. The Bible simply won’t let us draw either conclusion. What the Bible does say is that we all continue to live and flourish not because we deserve it but solely because of the mercy and longsuffering of God. Life is on loan from God. He does not owe us existence and what he has mercifully given he can take back at any time and in any way he sees fit.

(4) Events such as this should remind us that no place on earth is safe and that we will all one day die (unless Jesus returns first). Whether by a peaceful natural death at the age of 90, or by a sudden heart attack at 50, or in a car accident at 15, or by a slow battle with cancer at virtually any age, we will all likewise die. We are not immortal. The only ultimately and eternally safe place to be is in the arms of our heavenly Father from which no tornado or earthquake or tsunami or cancer or car wreck can ever snatch us or wrench us free.

(5) We should not look upon such events and conclude that the Second Coming of Christ and the end of history are at hand, but neither should we conclude that the Second Coming of Christ and the end of history are not at hand. What we should do is humble ourselves before the Lord and prepare our hearts for the day of his return, whenever that may be, whether in our lifetime or some distant date centuries from now.

(6) We must learn to weep with those who weep. We must pray for them, serve them, help them, give to them, and do all within our power to alleviate their suffering (even if their suffering is caused by God). We do not have to agree with them religiously or politically to shower them with the love of Christ. Jesus calls upon us to show mercy to those who suffer, even if they do not deserve it. The fact is, none of us deserves it. That’s why the Bible calls it mercy: it is undeserved kindness. Remember Luke 6:27 where Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”

(7) Pray that God will use such an event to open the hearts and eyes of a city and a state immersed in unbelief and idolatry (and I have in mind not merely Oklahoma, but also America as a whole), to see the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and turn in faith to him, lest something infinitely worse than a tornado befall them: Eternal condemnation. Eternal suffering. 
www.samstorms.com 

A Quote From Randy Alcorn on Suffering

"While Western atheists turn from belief in God because a tsunami in another part of the world caused great suffering, many brokenhearted survivors of that same tsunami found faith in God. This is one of the great paradoxes of suffering. Those who don't suffer much think suffering should keep people from God, while many who suffer a great deal turn to God, not from him."

—Randy Alcorn

Jesus The Light

"The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."  (John 1:9-13 ESV)

Jesus is the transforming Light of the world. One encounter with Him changes our perspective on life and the way we perceive reality. Until we believe and trust the Creator of  everything (Jesus) we do not have the capacity to see things as they really are. We see things in this life for what they truly are as we allow them to be illumined by the Light of the world.

God is patiently changing those of us who are trusting Jesus as the source of all truth and reality. We are called to meet the challenges of life by walking in the light. Jesus is our guide to living in the invisible Kingdom of God. This eternal Kingdom rules in the unseen realm of light. Without Him we will spend our lives trying to establish our own kingdoms. We do not have the capacity to discern or war against dark spiritual forces, apart from a revelation of the Kingdom of God. The danger of seeking enlightenment apart from Jesus is that we will create an ineffective 'god' of our own imaginations.

Embarking on a spiritual journey apart from Jesus is dangerous. We can easily be led into dark spiritual places by false teachers who seem to be bearers of the light. But the fact is; Jesus is the only path to the Father of Lights. Those who desire to know God must come to the light of His Son, Jesus. - Bobby

We Were Made To Love by Deric Thomas

"Matthew 22:37-39 is probably my favorite Passage in the Bible. If you asked our children what our family motto is, I am sure they would tell you it is, “Love God, love people”. We have been saying this together ever since they could talk and listen. It’s what I want our family to be shaped by and known for, it’s what I want written on my tombstone. And even more than that, it’s what Jesus said was the most important commandment. In fact, it’s what He said the whole Bible declares to be our most important duty and delight. When God made humanity in the very beginning He made us for the purpose of loving. Loving Him and loving people.

When Jesus speaks, we must listen. He tells us in verse 37 that: we were made to love (you shall love), we were made to be under authority (the Lord), we were made by God (your God), and we were made for God, to love Him with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

We are to love Him not just with some of our heart, but with all of our heart. The word heart here does not refer to the organ in our chest, but the very core of our personal being (who we are), the seat of our personality. Listen to the Psalmist declare his love for God, “I love you, O LORD, my strength.”-(Ps. 18:1) “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.”-(Ps. 5:11) “Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.”-(Ps. 31:23) “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!”-(Ps. 40:16) “O you who love the LORD, hate evil! (Ps. 97:10)” “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.”-(Ps. 116:1). Do you hear the passion?

TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR SOUL

“Soul” here is closest to what we would call emotion or passion. So, let me ask you, is your Christianity cold and emotionless? Jesus calls us to love God from our soul. A soul relationship with God is demanded. Sterile religion, no matter how disciplined, was never regarded as adequate. Listen to the Psalmist again, “My soul keeps your testimonies; I love them exceedingly.”-(Ps. 119:167). This is SOUL religion.

TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR MIND

Our mind is our intellectual, willful vigor and determination. Both our mental endeavor and our strength. Paul said to the Romans, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”-(Rom. 12:1-2).

TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH

We see this word added in Mark 12:30. Jesus would have answered this question on numerous occasions. Here in Mark we see him use another word to try to communicate this one main point. It is that we are to love Him with all we are. From the viewpoint of biblical anthropology, “heart” “soul” and “mind” are not mutually exclusive. They are overlapping categories. Together they demand our love for God to come from our whole person, our every faculty and capacity. These Texts do not imply a compartmentalization of the human psyche. Rather, both refer to wholehearted devotion to God with every aspect of one’s being, from whatever angle one chooses to consider it—emotionally, volitionally, or cognitively. This kind of love for God will then result in obedience to all He has commanded. Genuine love for God is intelligent, feeling, willing, and serving. It involves thought, sensitivity, intent, and even action where possible. We are to love God with all we are and all we have. And we can only do this if we have come to know God personally through Jesus Christ.

THE BEAUTY OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US

We must obey God fully (This is the great and first commandment). These are not suggestions, but rules. They are moral Laws that reflect the character God. And Deuteronomy 28 makes it clear that they are to be kept fully. We haven’t obeyed Him completely. Romans 3:23 makes that very clear. Not only have we disobeyed in action, but also internally, in relation to our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our strength. Think about this, have you obeyed God fully in thought, word, deed, intention, attitude, and action? No. Nobody has. And that is why we need a Savior. Just a few chapters over, in Matthew 27-28, we see Jesus accomplish the work He came to do. He finished His morally perfect life, and dies as a substitute in the place of us imperfect and sinful people (who deserve God’s righteous and good punishment since we have disobeyed Him and have not acted out of submission to His good and perfect rule). On the cross He took on our sins and our punishment from God (wrath from God, the curse of God), so that our sins could be washed away. Then we learn that He was raised from the dead. And because of His salvific work on our behalf we can now truly love, and grow in love gradually." - Deric Thomas is my pastor at the Gathering.

A Brief Meditation on The Renewal of The Mind And Prayer

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - (Romans 12:1-2 ESV)


The transformation of the mind is vitally important to a fruitful prayer life. Having our mind focused on things above(Cols 3:2) is the way we battle the world, flesh, and the Devil. Seeking first the Kingdom of God is how we develop intimacy with him, and it fuels our prayer life. Meditation on scripture is what ignites our prayer. I find that when I am slack on the discipline of meditation, I lose my desire to pray.

A renewed mind gives us clarity and vision. During this renewing process our hearts are strengthened and purified  And our prayers become a weapon against the Devil and his schemes. A lack of focus on God hinders our relationship with him and others. I don't have a lot of encouragement to give people if I've neglected spending time in the presence of God. Allowing unnecessary distractions in our lives gives place to spiritual apathy.

Regardless of what some might say, good theology is important. It informs and transforms our thinking. In our pursuit of truth our goal must always be to encounter God. Jesus' disciples were marked for life, not only from his teaching but from just being with him.  - Bobby