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Don't Blame God

J.C. Choate (deceased)

Table of Contents Don't Blame God By J.C. Choate 1 God's Way Vs. Man's Way By T. Pierce Brown 2 How Can We Encourage Each Other? By Rodney Nulph 3 The Voice of the Church By D. Gene West 4 Eli, A Good Man But a Bad Father By Raymond Elliott 5 Declare His Doings By Mark McWhorter 6 Manna By  Mark McWhorter 6 To Everything There Is a Season By Bonnie Rushmore 7 Why Did God Do It? By Marilyn LaStrape 8 Abounding Grace By D. Gene West 9 Please Pass the Salt By Mike Benson 10 The Measuring Instrument By Dean Kelly 11 Christians Only or the Only Christians? By T. Pierce Brown 12 Baptism and Tradition By Robert Johnson 13 Is Culture to Transform Our Identity? By Tim Childs 14 The Center of Things By Andy Robison 15 Does God Know About this? By Alan Smith 16 A New Testament Christian By Robert Johnson 17 Absolute Absurdity By Ernest S. Underwood 18 God's Constant Watchfulness By Ernest S. Underwood 18 News & Advertisements 19 Was Ananias an Apostle? By Louis Rushmore 20 Private Interpretation By Louis Rushmore 20 Healing the Blind Man (Men) By Louis Rushmore 20 Louis Rushmore, Editor Rodney Nulph, Associate Editor Paul Mobley, proofreader A Moment of Reflection By Ernest S. Underwood A Word Between Friends (MP3) By Tim Childs Crossword Puzzle By Bonnie Rushmore Priscilla's Page By Marilyn LaStrape Since You Asked By Louis Rushmore Wisdom's Corner (Youth Page) By Mark McWhorter Free Subscription & Monthly Notification enter my subscription & notify me (type "subscribe" in subject box)

    While I was attending Freed-Hardeman College, a tornado struck a community nearby and two or three people were killed. Someone said that the reason the tornado swept through that area was because of the sinful living of those particular people. Someone else said that if God was punishing the people because of their sins; why didn’t He hit some place like New York City? The same could be said about cities, large and small, all over the world. Of course, the point is, God is not directly sending tornados, fires, floods, snow storms, earthquakes, tsunamis or other such things on the people of the world because of their wicked living. If He was using nature in such ways today, the world itself would have been destroyed a long time ago, because it is filled with sin and sinners.

    However, when tragic events take place, such as a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, in which thousands and thousands of people are killed, survivors who have lost family members and loved ones usually ask, “Why? Why, God, did you send such a terrible thing upon us?” The same question was asked when four hurricanes hit Florida in the same year. That question was also asked repeatedly when earthquakes hit Turkey, Iran, India and other countries, causing the deaths of thousands when their small mud houses collapsed on them. Similar earthquakes have hit Japan and China, and people there wondered, “Why? Why me?” No doubt that same question was asked by those who have suffered mud slides in California and floods in many parts of the United States.

    Tragic events of nature are continually happening around the world. Scientists explain: Mud slides occur naturally when rain weakens the structure of a mountain, releasing a muddy torrent on whatever may be in its path. Hurricanes and cyclones sweep over an area when conflicting energy of high and low air pressure, combined with hot and cool air masses, create rapid spiraling movement of the air over the ocean. Tornadoes form when warm, humid air meets cold, dry air in a twisting effect over land, spinning at speeds of 80 to 150 miles an hour. Earthquakes are caused by the shifting of tectonic plates along fault lines under the earth’s surface. This crashing movement can turn whole villages into rubble in a matter of seconds. Volcanoes are the result of a build-up of heat and pressure in the hot, molten rock deep underground along tectonic plate lines. Magma finally breaks through the surface, spewing gas, steam, ash and molten lava from the rupture. If the earthquake or the volcanic eruption occurs in the ocean, a seismic sea wave—a tsunami—may occur. This natural result of massive movements in the earth can create waves as much as 35 to 200 feet higher than normal, crushing and mangling everything in their path.

    These terrible, catastrophic events are the effects of what we call the “laws of nature.” When natural conditions come together in predictable, specified ways, we can expect one of these powerful, destructive results—not as a direct act of God, but because the earth’s conditions demand it.

    On the other hand, while nature itself is responsible for these tragedies, man is responsible for grievous things that come about as a result of wars, terrorism, robberies, killings, the misuse of drugs, hunger, polluted water, poverty, poor eating habits, etc.

    However, whatever brings about hurt, pain, suffering and death, never let the thought cross your mind, or to say to yourself and to others, that God is responsible. Listen, God created you and all human beings, and He loves you. He doesn’t want to kill you. He doesn’t want to hurt you or to cause you and your loves ones to suffer. He even gave His son to die for you so you can be saved in this world and in the world to come. John 3:16 says plainly, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

    Perhaps you have lost a wife, a husband, children and other family members in some tragic natural calamity. This is heartbreaking, and we grieve for you in your loss. However, be thankful that you have survived. Don’t try to put the blame on others, and don’t blame God, but be thankful that you are still living, and that there are many in your country and around the world who are making great efforts to help you and others to rebuild your life. Be thankful that good can come out of tragedy, and that you can know the love of God and of caring humans in the midst of all the pain.

    Although you can see God’s creation all around you, as a testimony that God lives, get yourself a Bible and read and study it to learn more about God and about His Son, Jesus Christ. Look for His words of love and reassurance. Learn to say with the psalmist David (Psalm 23):

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

    Turning to God’s Word to allow Him to talk to you, you will learn of the Lord’s sacrifice for you, and what He would have you to do to be saved. He wants you to hear the good news of His Son, Jesus Christ, to believe it, to turn away from your sins and to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. When you do these things, with a sincere heart of submission to God, He will save you and add you to His church, His spiritual family. Then, as you live the Christian life and remain faithful to Him, you will be prepared to go to heaven when you die. In that new spiritual world, you will live with God and the redeemed forevermore. There will be no pain there, no sorrow, no sickness and no death. “…we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless” (2 Peter 3:13-14).

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Revelation 21:3-5).

    That is the kind of God we believe in and serve. He lives and we live because of Him.

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