Matney: An act of God?
Sometimes insurance companies and others have called storms, “acts of God.” But how can we reconcile the death and destruction from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton with the fact that God is love?
Jerry Bridges in his book, “Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts,” talks about the scope of God’s care and control over nations and nature. He mentions a meteorologist found that there were over 1,400 references to weather in the Bible. Many of these references attribute the outworking of weather directly to the hand of God.
For example, Psalm 147:8 reads: “He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.” And Psalm 148:8 reads: “Lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds do his bidding.”
These are just a few of the Bible verses that teach God can control the weather. But there are also scriptures indicating that maybe God isn’t the only one using the weather …
Matthew 8:24-27 tells the story of Jesus and his disciples crossing the Galilee. “Suddenly, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'”
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Jesus and his disciples continued to the other side of the lake. When they arrived in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men came from the tombs, yelling and cursing at them. The Bible says these men were so violent that no one dared to pass that way, but Jesus ended up casting out the demons and setting the men free from the torment they were in.
Now, think about it for a moment, if that storm on the lake of Galilee was an act of God, Jesus would not have rebuked it, or he would be rebuking God. But, in this case, it was not God who controlled the weather, but it was Satan using nature to create a storm. Satan is called the prince of the power of the air in Ephesians 2:2 and the god of this world in 2 Corinthians 4:4.
I’m not dogmatic about this, but perhaps it was Satan who created the storm because he could see Jesus coming across the lake and he did not want the men in the tombs to be set free from their demons. Satan hoped Jesus would turn around and go back. However, Jesus was able to calm the storm and set the men free.
So often when a storm of adversity comes into our lives, we blame God, but if we invite Jesus into the midst of the storm, he will calm the storm and calm us, and we will see the blessings that God has for us.
When we respond with faith and obedience, God can take the storm that the enemy has meant for evil and bring good out of it. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, stated this truth when he said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to save many lives,” in Genesis 50:20.
Amid the tragedy wrought by these hurricanes, one might wonder what good can come from it. Without minimizing the suffering in any way, it’s also possible to recognize the potential for positive outcomes amidst the tragedy.
Disasters like these can help us appreciate the importance of family, friends, and community, and remind us to never take one another for granted. They remind us that material possessions are far less important than human connections.
Natural disasters, despite their devastation, often bring out the best in people. During times of tragedy, neighbors and communities come together to support each other, forgetting petty differences. The spirit of giving and compassion is strengthened as people volunteer their time and resources to help others.
In times like these, when storms come, God gives us the opportunity to actively apply our understanding of compassion and righteousness in real-world situations, reinforcing the teachings that extend beyond the theoretical knowledge of classrooms.
And these storms of life can serve as catalysts for spiritual growth and a deeper connection to God and eternal values. In times of disaster, people often turn to prayer, meditation, church attendance, and other spiritual practices. Facing adversity can lead us to reflect on our life’s purpose and priorities, and eternal values.
Metaphorically and perhaps in reality, like the Gadarene demoniacs, our communities are set free from the demons that imprison us in tombs of tormented selfishness. These experiences make us more appreciative of what we have, delivering us from entitlement and self-pity, and setting us free to love generously.
In no way do I want to minimize the tragedy that is unfolding due to the hurricanes. Rather, I want to emphasize the importance of family, friends, community, and eternal values, in meeting the storms of life. Also, I want to emphasize that death and destruction are not an act of God but despite the storms, God in his love seeks to bring good out of what our enemy has meant for evil.
Dan Matney is the pastor at New Life Assembly of God in Avon. Email him at pastordanmatney@hotmail.com.