As I see the tragedy unfolding in Japan many things come to my mind. First and foremost, there is great sadness over the suffering of so many who have had their lives suddenly turned upside down. I pray for God's mercy upon Japan in the coming days. But I can't help but consider how vulnerable man is upon the earth. Japan is a wealthy, industrialized nation. They are proud, independent, and satisfied. But suddenly, and without warning they were hit by the most powerful earthquake they have ever experienced (and they have seen many) followed by a giant tsunami that destroyed what the earthquake left behind. And now, as I write this blog entry, one of their nuclear reactor complexes is threatening a meltdown with radiation already leaking into the atmosphere. Their stock market is plummeting and experts are wondering how their economy will survive. All of this happend suddenly, unexpectedly, and completely out of their control. "For when they are saying, 'Peace and safety'!; then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1Thes.5:3).
Surely we serve a mighty, all powerful God who rules over all of His creation. He raises up and brings down. All of the mighty nations are but dust to Him. "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold He lifts up the islands like fine dust" (Isaiah 40:15). Will Japan take notice? Will they forsake their powerless Buddah and turn to the living God? We can only pray that God will use this disaster as a means of drawing them to Christ.
There is another lesson we must learn from this tragedy. The United States is also a wealthy, industrialized nation. We are also proud, independent, and satisfied. And we are foolish to think that we cannot be suddenly and unexpectedly brought down to the dust in a moment of time. Will we learn anything from this? Will we see just how frail man is upon this earth? Will we take notice that there is an almighty God who rules this world? Will we have to experience His wrath personally before we take notice? Sadly, even as the mountains crumble around them, many will not repent. Oh that God might show mercy upon our generation.
Surely we serve a mighty, all powerful God who rules over all of His creation. He raises up and brings down. All of the mighty nations are but dust to Him. "Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold He lifts up the islands like fine dust" (Isaiah 40:15). Will Japan take notice? Will they forsake their powerless Buddah and turn to the living God? We can only pray that God will use this disaster as a means of drawing them to Christ.
There is another lesson we must learn from this tragedy. The United States is also a wealthy, industrialized nation. We are also proud, independent, and satisfied. And we are foolish to think that we cannot be suddenly and unexpectedly brought down to the dust in a moment of time. Will we learn anything from this? Will we see just how frail man is upon this earth? Will we take notice that there is an almighty God who rules this world? Will we have to experience His wrath personally before we take notice? Sadly, even as the mountains crumble around them, many will not repent. Oh that God might show mercy upon our generation.
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