What is your first response to the news of an approaching storm? Is your response different if the storm is going to affect you personally? How should Christians respond to news of a storm? And how should we interpret the cause or purpose of the storm? When it comes to interpreting the cause of storms we have to be very careful. There have been two primary and public responses to storms that I believe have not been proper responses. The first response we have often heard is from a public Christian figure who says that the storm is God’s wrath because of sin. The second response that we often have heard from Christian leaders has been something along the lines that God brought the storm to discipline us and make us draw closer to Him. I believe both of these responses are inaccurate and here is why:
We have to hold two important biblical truths in healthy tension: first that God is sovereign and nothing happens outside of His perfect knowledge; secondly, that there is a real Devil who’s main purpose is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). God has allowed the Devil as well as humans to exercise free will and choice in this world, though He is God and in some mysterious way knows the Devil’s moves and our moves ahead of time.
It is important to remember that God used this free will of the Devil and humans to kill His Son, so that we ultimately could be reconciled to God and rest in the hope that God is going to make it all good one day. And we need to remember that in the NT Jesus calmed the storm (Matthew 8:23-27) and saved lives, He did not bring a storm to kill, steal and destroy – that was the Devil’s work. Jesus has come to bring life and bring it abundantly. But then you might ask, why do we experience bad storms then? The answer to this question is found in Romans 8 for we live in a fallen world that is decaying and “groaning” as it awaits its renewal when Jesus returns. The whole earth is fallen because of sin and is subject to decay and destruction. Jesus came to bring grace and truth and God’s heart is that all would come to a saving knowledge of Him. (1 Timothy 2:3-6) But the enemy is active today in many ways killing, stealing and destroying and he does use storms to do that. Thankfully Jesus has come to destroy the works of the devil and He has empowered His church to carry on His work. God’s wrath will come one day, let us not mistaken that. But it will not come until Jesus returns.
The scriptures tell us that as the end draws near these super-storms will increase – the birth pains of the earth will increase. (Matthew 24) Our culture is blaming the whole thing on global warming. I think we can leave that discussion to the scientists and that Christians need to respond by being good environmentalists and by addressing the root cause, which is broken relationship with God. The world is getting more and more fearful about the decaying world and the reality of more super-storms and its only response is more environmental efforts. This provides a great opportunity for believers to unite in protecting the environment but even more so address the heart issue behind the fear.
So, how should we respond? We are to respond first with prayer. We are to call upon God to calm the storm and save lives both physically and spiritually. Secondly, we are to respond with mercy and compassion and aid if relief is necessary as best we can. Thirdly, we are to rest in God’s great sovereignty trusting that He is greater than the Devil or any storm and ultimately will make things right.
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