October 9 Devotion - Be Merciful God - Milton

 

Jesus said: do you assume that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed were worse sinners than all the others who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no.

 

أَوْ أُولئِكَ الثَّمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ الَّذِينَ سَقَطَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْبُرْجُ فِي سِلْوَامَ وَقَتَلَهُمْ، أَتَظُنُّونَ أَنَّ هؤُلاَءِ كَانُوا مُذْنِبِينَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ النَّاسِ السَّاكِنِينَ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ؟ 5كَلاّ

 

Luke 13:4-5

 

Today I am writing about a very difficult subject, one that I am trying to understand. We have seen the destruction brought upon different countries by hurricanes and recently hurricane Helene in the USA. Now hurricane Milton is scheduled to hit the Gulf coast of Florida today by 2 pm and it is expected to be the worst storm ever.

 

Many see God as the One causing these terrible catastrophes, and that it is His wrath on sinners. This is not true. Jesus referred to 18 people who had died in a disaster of a fallen tower and indicated that this was not because they were sinners.

 

God is not in the business of causing natural disasters and calamities. On the contrary, He is the giver of life. We live in a fallen world; The Bible says that when man fell into sin, all of nature was cursed. In other words, it was impossible for a sinful man to live in a perfect environment of paradise, so all of nature is cursed. Natural disasters happen within God’s providence.

 

One of the greatest challenges we have as Christians is to continue to believe God and to trust Him amid devastation. God has intervened in our world by sending Jesus Christ. We must look at the cross and there see the love of God most clearly.

 

All we can do is pray for God’s mercy and grace. Let us join together in prayer for everyone impacted: Psalm 57:

 

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious and merciful to me, for my soul finds shelter and safety in You, And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge and be confidently secure until destruction passes by. I will cry to God Most High; He will send from heaven and save me; God will send out His lovingkindness and His truth. Be exalted above the heavens, O God.
Let Your glory and majesty be over all the earth. I will praise and give thanks to You, O Lord, among the people; I will sing praises to You among the nations. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory and majesty be over all the earth.

 

ارْحَمْنِي يَا اللهُ ارْحَمْنِي، لأَنَّ بِكَ لاذَتْ نَفْسِي، وَبِظِلِّ جَنَاحَيْكَ أَحْتَمِي إِلَى أَنْ تَعْبُرَ الْمَصَائِبُ. 2 أَصْرُخُ إِلَى اللهِ الْعَلِيِّ، الَّذِي يُتَمِّمُ لِي مَقَاصِدَهُ، 3 فَيُرْسِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَيُخَلِّصُنِي،

 

7 ثَابِتٌ قَلْبِي يَا اللهُ، ثَابِتٌ قَلْبِي. أَشْدُو وَأُرَنِّمُ. 8 اسْتَيْقِظِي يَا نَفْسِي. اسْتَيْقِظِي يَا رَبَابُ وَيَا عُوْدُ. سَأُوْقِظُ الفَجْرَ عَلَى شَدْوِي. 9 يَا رَبُّ أَحْمَدُكَ بَيْنَ الشُّعُوبِ وَأَشْدُو لَكَ بَيْنَ الأُمَمِ. 10 لأَنَّ رَحْمَتَكَ قَدْ عَظُمَتْ إِلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ، وَحَقُّكَ إِلَى الْغَمَامِ. 11 ارْتَفِعْ يَا اللهُ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ، وَلْيَرْتَفِعْ مَجْدُكَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein