From Whence Cometh The Storm?

So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. - Psalm 83:15

There are a lot of people who are angry with God; some of them even admit it. As amazing as it may sound to some, there's a lot of blame for life's storms being laid at the foot of God's throne. I can remember the questions that came up after the Oklahoma City bombing and especially after 9/11. Many were wondering where God was and why God had allowed these national tragedies to happen.

Many preachers claim tragedies like these are God's judgment on a sinful earth. I heard a number of preachers claiming Hurricane Katrina was God's judgment on New Orleans for the decades of sin committed in that city. The late Jerry Falwell had no problem proclaiming 9/11 as divine judgment on a nation who had turned its back on God in the days following the terrorist attacks. Certainly the Bible is full of stories of divine judgment on sinful man and if you've ever read Revelation you know more is on the way.

But the question posed this weekend is a fairly simple one in concept yet complex in its depths. Does God use disasters, both natural and man-made, to bring his divine judgment on earth? Does suffering equal judgment in God's methodology? You may think this is a benign question but you'd be amazed at how many people believe this is the case. Many of those people are standing behind pulpits all across America and beyond.

As you can well imagine, I've got some thoughts on this subject. Before I put them in the blog, I'll be sharing them on the air this Saturday so I hope you'll tune in and not only listen but participate in the discussion.

Stay tuned true believers...