Lessons from the Losses of Life

by Brian Bill
Published October 2, 2007

(Written on August 19, 2006)

As we approach the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the five-year anniversary of 9/11, our world feels more unsettled than ever. Along with the continued carnage in the Middle East and the war in Iraq, we now hear of foiled terrorist attacks and wonder when the next one will take place. As one terrorism expert said recently, “No one is safe anymore.” Americans are very concerned about what has happened in the past, we worry about what is taking place right now, and many are filled with fear regarding the future.

I’d like to suggest ten lessons we can apply that will help us stay grounded even when the headlines shout out doom and destruction. Here’s my own top ten list:

10. God is powerful and in control. The Bible tells us that God works wonders, even when we can’t see them, and especially when we don’t understand what has happened. Isaiah 40:22: “…He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth…”

9. God loves to bring good out of bad. This principle helps us see that with God at the center of life, there’s always reason to hope. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”

8. Things will get worse before they get better. As we get closer to the end of the world, the Bible says that things will get increasingly worse: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1)

7. Live one day at a time. One of the best ways to beat anxiety is to simply focus on the day in front of us: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

6. We are made for a different place. For the believer in Jesus Christ, this world is not our home. 2 Corinthians 5:1 reminds us: “…we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven…”

5. Jesus meets us in the storms of life. No matter what you are going through right now, or what hurricanes will hit your heart in the future, remember that when the storms show up, so does the Savior. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

4. Jesus is coming again. After Jesus ascended into Heaven we read this announcement in Acts 1:11: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

3. The Bible is filled with predictive prophecy. When asked about what signs to look for that will tell us that the second coming of Christ is near, Jesus made this statement in Matthew 24:7-8: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

2. Israel is central. While there are differences of opinion about end-times prophecy, the return of Christ will be wrapped up in developments surrounding Israel. Romans 11:25-26 says, “…Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved…” The story of the Bible began in the Middle East and ends there as well.

1. Get yourself ready. I’m reminded of the passage in Luke 13 where some people described an event similar to 9/11 to Jesus, when a number of innocent people were annihilated. Jesus then brings up another situation in which 18 people were killed when a tower fell on them. In both instances, Jesus doesn’t give them an answer as to “why” these things happened. Instead, he personalizes it and says, “Unless you repent, you too will perish!”

Are you ready right now? If you had been in those twin towers, or on the beach when the tsunami hit, or in the Gulf Coast when Katrina came ashore, would you have been ready to meet Jesus? Are you ready for what will come next? The only safe place to be is in the arms of the Savior.

Viewed 160 times