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Devotional

The Call

Scripture

"Those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them-do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Luke 13: 4-5, NLT

The other day I opened my internet browser and the following headlines appeared:

• Pakistan plane crash kills 152 people.
• California residents flee devastating wildfires.
• Young brothers found dead in Calif. ravine.
• Coppell mom kills herself and teenager daughter.

And I wondered: What in the world is going on? Why is so much disaster, killing and devastation occurring in the world today? Is the God I serve still in control of a world that seems to be spinning out of control?

In his book, How much does God control, Dr. Martin De Haan II answers my questions with the following responses:

1) Just because we can see no reason or purpose in some of the suffering we see occurring in the world doesn't mean there is no divine reason or purpose. We may not know the reasons, but God does and we must rest in the assurance that he knows the answer to the question "Why?"

2) Whenever we encounter disease, disaster, or destruction in the world, it is a reminder that we are no better than the victims of these events and it could one day happen to us too. Thus, we are to see these events as a call to repentance for those who still need to be saved.

Since we may never fully understand the reasons for all of the tragic events that occur in the world, let's be sure to use each one as a clarion call to tell someone about Jesus Christ - the only one able to save them from a decaying and dying world.

Sharing the word,

Jeaninne