There are important supernatural lessons from natural disasters and wars that are often overlooked. From God's perspective, the message of calamities, such as tsunamies, hurricanes, and wars, is God giving "unsaved" survivors time and opportunity to repent. Calamities show:

. Life is short and unpredictable, but death is certain (then judgment).

. God's grace to "unsaved" survivors--they have been granted additional time and opportunity to repent and get right with God.

. Man's lostness and utter dispair--he has no where to turn to and he cannot save himself. Not even his own government can save him.

31pumpkin

Yes, it's true. Tomorrow is promised to no one. It can be a national event or a calamity can be personal. One day you're here, next your......like what happened with my brother 7yrs. ago. He was murdered. He was 49 but looked 40. Forget about it. If there's anything to find comfort in is knowing as a born-again Christian, he's in Heaven.
How after 911 I heard the sermon mentioning Isaiah 55:6 ~ Seek the Lord while He may be found. Because when we die it's too late for choosing salvation(or I wouldn't take a chance that there is any 2nd chance then)


God is supernatural and gives us supernatural grace and mercies. His love endures forever!

talaniman

I think man has no control over the elements and whether we were here or not the weather would be the weather.

NeedKarma

. Life is short and unpredictable, but death is certain (then judgment).

Agreed except for the judgement part, no one is sure there is such a thing.

. God's grace to survivors--they have been granted additional time and opportunity to repent and get right with God.

Nah, they just survived. In your wording above they would be saved. By this statement you imply that all who surviced were NOT right with their god which is most likely not the case. It's just a natural disaster that strikes people of all religions in the same swath. Wind and water don't care what religion you are or if you are "right" with them.

. Man's lostness and utter dispair--he has no where to turn to and he cannot save himself. Not even his own government can save him.

More likely the conclusion is that man cannot control nature.

valinors_sorrow

Last I looked (and I have done a lot of looking LOL) nature is a force without malice very intricately woven into the big cosmic fabric here on little planet earth. Its not hard for me to conclude that since it is very clearly designed that way, it is intended as such by the Creator of it too.

0rphan

Many will endevour to control the multitudes wether it be by religious following..... and of those there are many....or promises of vast personal fortune, it's all about power and control.
They may suceed short term but will not go the distance, the good guy upstairs i believe does not interviene, life is a learning curve which we rise or fall by.
Everything on this earth can be controlled by one means or another but the elements have a will of their own and can be controlled by no man.