Please God!
By: Jack Wyman
It was frightening. It was fast. It was fierce. It was fatal.
The raging infernos that have ignited and consumed more than 40,000 acres in Southern California have destroyed nearly 12,000 structures and killed more than 25 people. The death toll will likely rise. The fires have decimated an area a third larger than the entire city of San Francisco.
The aftermath of these horrific wildfires has been described as apocalyptic. This may be the worst natural disaster in American history. To appreciate its cataclysmic devastation, you’d need to be there in person and see it. That’s what been reported.
Winds predicted up to 75 miles an hour are dangerously threatening valiant efforts to contain the blaze. The apostle James wrote, “a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire” (James 3: 5). The damage of these fires will cost between 130 and 150 billion dollars.
Jeffrey Ku and his wife, Cheryl, were stunned by the approaching fiery behemoth. They attempted to spray their roof with water but in the gusting winds it was futile. They described it as “34 minutes of pure terror.” Somehow, they managed to capture a segment of their terrifying desperation on video.
“Oh, no!” they cried, as the deadly flames bore down on them, consuming everything in their path. “No!” It sent a chill through many television viewers. It seemed hopeless. “Please God!” they prayed. “Please! Spare our house!”
Their prayers were answered. Their home was spared.
Their video became symbolic of the vulnerability of the thousands whose lives were suddenly turned upside down and changed forever by this tragedy. Their fearful and urgent plea for divine rescue is an eloquent example of the often spiritual dimension of crises.
Man has conquered and subdued nearly everything on earth except nature. We have employed science to resist and defend against the natural storms of life. We have yet to control the winds, the waves, or the willfulness of fire. We cannot prevent snow from falling, heat from rising, fog from settling, or the tides from ebbing.
God blessed the human race when he created it. He commanded us to “be fruitful and multiply.” He told man to “fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)
It was God’s delegated authority over creation. God presented to man the means for his own sustenance. Fruit and seed-bearing plants. We would subdue the animal kingdom, but God would feed it. To each of us came the responsibility of a wise and prudent stewardship of our God-given natural resources. We remain accountable to God for that stewardship.
We are never so weak and dependent on Omnipotence than in the midst of the storm. Whether it be physical, spiritual, financial, or moral, we reach to the heavens for hope and strength. We seek God’s protection and deliverance. In crisis, we learn to pray, whether we are religious or not. We do not decorate our prayers in times of trouble. We do not write them out in advance.
We seek not eloquence, we seek help. We come not in pride; we humble ourselves. We do not try to impress God; we hope he sees our scrawny and impotent selves, and takes compassionate notice of us and our overwhelming situation. We plead no other entitlement than the truth and power of God’s promises. We beseech him for his grace and mercy.
“Please God! Please! Spare our house!”
Not every house is spared. Not every person is rescued. God’s ways and purposes are most inscrutable in tragedies. We look for answers and find none. We seek comfort and find him. His love covers not only a multitude of sins; it assuages a multitude of questions.
Much has been written and predicted regarding the weather. We speculate, postulate, and ponder. We also sometimes exaggerate and pontificate. Climate change is real. It is a fact. Some would argue it always has been and always will be. Jesus tells us there will be cosmic signs of the times in the last days, as we draw near to the end of human history on earth.
Much of this will concern natural phenomena; earthquakes, famine, pestilence. (Luke 21:11) Jesus said, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. . .” (Matthew 24:29) Jesus warns us that “nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” (Luke 21:25)
When he rose from a nap in the boat with his disciples, Jesus stilled the violent winds and waves with a mere command. The sea became at peace. His disciples marveled at his authority over nature. “What kind of man is this?” they asked. “Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:26-27)
Our God reigns. He reigns over the earth and all within it. “His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,” writes the prophet, “and clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Nahum 1:3) In his own suffering and loss, Job declares, “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.” He commands the snow to fall and the rain to pour. (Job 37:5-6)
Our Creator is the Controller. He made the elements. He guides the weather. “Man proposes,” observed the powerful emperor Napoleon, “but God disposes.” Even the people of the greatest nations on earth are reminded of man’s mortal limitations in the presence of God’s sovereignty.
In his awesome might and glory, God hears us. We are invited to come boldly to him. We need not wait to come. God is abundantly attentive and accessible to us all.
He knows how we feel and what we’re up against. He has shared our sorrows and understands our pain. He gives us his grace to help us in our time of need.
We must come simply and humbly. He knows. He cares. He loves us.
“Please God! Please!”
To order Jack Wyman’s book, “Everything Else: Stories of Life, Faith and Our World”, go to amazon.com, Christian Book Distributors or barnesandnoble.com. It is also available on Kindle and eBooks.
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