My Life Is A Disaster…

Are you facing a “disaster” at college? Are things not going well? Do your personal disasters cause you to doubt God is in control? Let’s widen the scope a bit. Disasters not only occur at a personal level. They occur on a large-scale level. Let’s look at the large-scale level to open up our perspective.

God’s care extends over the universe (Acts 17:24); plants (Matthew 6:28-30); animals (Matthew 6:26); and men (Acts 17:26). He directs nations (Deuteronomy 28:49; Psalm 33:10; Isaiah 10:5, 6, 13-16), individuals (Proverbs 16:l, 2, 9) and nature (Psalm 135:7; Jeremiah 10:12; Matthew 5:45). His will is continually active (Psalm 33:9, 11, 18, 19; James 4:15).

Some believe God uses disasters to punish sinners. After grace is rejected, this could be a possibility (Deuteronomy 32:24). However, we should not assume it. Disaster victims may not be greater sinners than anyone else, as Jesus points out in Luke 13:1-5.

A better perspective is that God’s purpose in disasters is a blend of things.

For unbelievers who die, their time of grace has run out. The gospel has gone “unto the ends of the earth” (Romans 10:8-18), but they did not listen. For unbelievers who survive, the disaster reminds them they will face God someday. This may make them receptive to the gospel.

For believers who die, God used the disaster to call them out of their temporal home to their eternal home. It reminds Christians they are pilgrims here (1 Peter 2:11).

For believers who survive, God’s purpose may be to discipline them by “drawing [them] by loving kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). The disaster causes the Christian to remember what God says about sin and grace, life and death, heaven and hell. Such chastening of God “yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb 12:11). God makes all things work together for good to them that love Him, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). “All things” includes disasters.

The disaster may be a testimony to prove God’s faithfulness to others. Consider Job, who said, “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (2:10; 13:15).

Disasters are also signs of Christ’s return and the end of the world. Disasters cause unbelievers to search for answers to their questions about the future. Meanwhile, God’s people are also reminded of what God revealed about such things.

Disasters stimulate prayer and present opportunities for charity and brotherly love.

God can do as He wishes with property because everything belongs to him (Hebrews 2:8).

Scaling back to the personal level, how can these truths be applied? It is good to remind ourselves that God’s will in allowing disasters into our lives may not be for one specific thing. It could be for a variety of reasons: to help us adjust our mindset, to strengthen our faith, to set us on a new course, to make us less selfish, to make us more fully rely on him and more. Take a deep breath and know that God is in control even in disasters. Give thanks for that.