Pastor's Corner: Fires and hurricanes and wars, oh, my!

As we look around at the current state of the world, we can see that we are living in a state of turmoil. Montana is experiencing catastrophic wildfires. Texas has been flooded from Harvey. Florida may be about to face Hurricane Irma. North Korea is provoking its neighbors and the United states. When seeing disasters that have happened, are happening, and/or are the brink of happening it is only natural that people begin to wonder: Where is God in all of this?

ome have decided that God could not be who He says He is because of the strife we see in this life. The atheists’ crutch, “How could an all-powerful, all-loving God allow such awful things to happen in this world?” is insufficient proof that God does not exist. Philosophers and theologians have written books just on the problem of pain. These men and women, who are much wiser than me, point out that suffering happens because sin has happened. Before sin entered the world pain did not exist. There was no problem of pain because there was no problem of sin.

Instead in these disasters (natural or manmade) we often find the best in people. Countless men and women have volunteered to fight the fires in the Bears Paw Mountains. In places like Houston and the surrounding areas we find neighbor loving neighbor by rescuing them from danger and moving towards recovery. I would argue that this “best in people” that we see in these moments is a glimpse of what God intended for us. One of the greatest commands in all of Scripture is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In these moments of turmoil we take our eyes off of our own selves and focus on loving others. Not every difficulty in life is caused by God to be a trial, but when we find ourselves in times like these we can see a little bit of what God intends. What if we always life by loving our neighbors in this way?

Jesus told us not to expect that life will be easy. We find His words in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. (NLT)” Contrary to what some may teach, being a follower of God does not prevent troubles. God does not revel in the trouble of people but He does promise to be a shelter, a safe place in the worst of times. Because He has warned us that trouble will come, we can face it because He has overcome all that we face.

Many times people come to God only after trouble has reared its ugly head. God is so full of grace and love that He will accept all that are weary and give them the respite. Because He loves us, however, He offers an even better way. Jesus taught that the wise person built a house upon the rock while the unwise built without a firm foundation. While we can run to God in the moment of desperation after our flimsy foundation fails, how much better is it to be built on something safe and solid? Those who have a foundation in Christ cannot be shaken Family and friends are wonderful but even they can fail you. Work and play are great ways to spend our time yet not matter how enjoyable they are the luster wears off. Like the words of the hymn say, “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!”

Associate Pastor Jamie Stoll

Havre Assembly of God