Deuteronomy 5:29. O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Ah my Friends, another natural disaster of great magnitude has cruelly assaulted our already troubled and turbulent world. We’re talking of the 8.9 level earthquake that triggered the devastating tsunami on Japan’s east coast yesterday. I can’t remember ever hearing of such a powerful earth tremor, and it surely caused unspeakable devastation. But what is it about the last few years that’s caused our world, already rocked by much violence and strife, to be also plagued by all the possible natural disasters; floods, famines, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, heat-waves, cold-waves, etc? You name it, we’ve recently experienced it. This apparently has been the worst natural disaster to hit Japan in centuries. And the sad part is that we can’t do a whole lot for them in physical and economical terms, for we’re all going through some very rough times. We’ve still got to do what we can though. One thing we can certainly do is pray for them. There’s no limit to that or shortage of it. So please, my brethren, let’s offer up some serious, heartfelt prayers for the unfortunate people of Japan. This brings us to the age old question of how much are we responsible for our disasters? I can’t quantify it, but I’m sure we’re responsible to some extent on two fronts. The first is our stupid messing with the delicate balance of the universe’s systems. The numerous chemicals and waste matter we spew into the atmosphere, the water and the land, undoubtedly affects our weather patterns. Cutting down so much of the rain forests that holds the soil together also adds to the negative effects, like soil erosion. And the constant drilling in the earth’s core, all over the world, using stuff like dynamite to achieve our selfish and greedy ends, plus all the other bombings and detonations being set off by wars and terrorist activities, will surely affect the earth’s crust and core after a while. In our mad rush for supposed glory and earthly riches we seem not to truly comprehend the precision with which the world and all therein was made, and just like man and many man-made things, if the whole is not in sync, then problems will eventually arise. Turning now to the second front of our culpability. Unfortunately our Bit spells it out in spades. ‘O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!’ Again Friends, I can’t say how much of our disasters are the result of our ungodliness, but I’m sure that it does play a part. And if you believe the Good Book, then you’ll agree, for from day one the Lord God who created the universe, gave man dominion over it, but He also decreed that man was to walk in His will or serious repercussions would result. (Gen.1:27-28) But Adam and Eve disobeyed. ‘Therefore the Lord God sent him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.’ (Gen.3:23) And from then Friends, we’ve been fighting a losing battle, trying to make it on our own. We have the telling example of the Israelites, God’s chosen people; prospering when they obeyed Him, but falling on extremely hard times when they didn’t. And basic history is just filled with nations and societies who fell to their untimely demise through ignoring God’s Word and His warnings. The prophets delivered the warnings, but man heeded them not and paid the severe price. Isaiah says it the best. In talking about the futility of relying on man: ‘Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me, and that cover with a covering (devise plans, weave a web), but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.’ (Is.30:1) Then in Chapter 57, he condemns Israel’s idolatry. ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth (takes) it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (the presence of evil) He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness….But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.’ (Is.57:1-2, 20-21) In Chapter 58, he continues the condemnation of Israel: ‘Cry aloud, spare not (do not hold back), lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew (tell) my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.’ (Is.58:1) Then in Chapter 59, talking about national corruption and consequent suffering, he lays it on thick: ‘Behold the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood (bloodshed), and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.’ (Is.59:1-3) Yes Friends, we are guilty of all that and more, so if the Bible is true, as we believe, then it’s obvious that the Lord will at some stage inflict some kind of punishment on our evil based world. We are obviously seeing some of it now, for when we weren’t as advanced, but more godly, it was never this bad. Unfortunately, our advancement has led us to terrible ungodliness, with disastrous results. Only by returning to the straight and narrow can we avoid further destruction. Much LOVE!…for the wages of sin…is death…
SCRIP-BITS 