” . . . in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37 KJV)
This past week, April 24-30, 2011, has been an overwhelming week in Alabama. If you have seen the news, you know that Alabamians suffered devastation from at least 11 “super” tornadoes. Meteorologist James Spann of ABC 33/40 reported that the last time such tornadic storms had raged through was 79 years earlier on March 21, 1932.
One of last week’s tornadoes swept across our state in a north easterly direction from the Mississippi state line to the Georgia state line. It was “on the ground” continuously for the entire 184 miles and was at least 1-mile wide for most of that distance, leaving devastation and despair as it went. This was the one which past nearest my home.
Now we know that other southern states were also affected by this same tornadic activity, some west of Alabama and some east. The news media have claimed that Alabama received the brunt of the storms. The last reported count was 230 dead in Alabama alone. And I have not heard how many residents are still unaccounted for.
On his Facebook page, one angry, young man denounced the value of prayer for the victims. He said something like this, “The one you’re praying to caused it. Do you really think he’ll listen to your weak, little pleas?” And perhaps that is how many people feel after their lives and goods have been scattered to the four winds. Yet, I must tell you that our God and Heavenly Father did not send this tornadic activity. He did not do this devastation. He is our loving Father. He creates! He does not destroy! He gives life and not death.
On the other hand, though, we can compare these storms to the Old Testament story of Job in the Bible. There we see that the Evil Adversary went before God’s throne to give account of his activities in the earth. And God asked him what he thought of Job, God’s servant. The bottom line was that the Adversary was given liberty to wreck havoc in the life of Job. Do you think that God knew something about Job that the Adversary did not know?
Lets consider two Scripture passages to put this in proper perspective. Jesus explained (John 10:10) that the Christian’s adversary only has one purpose: destruction. And he follows a three-fold strategy — kill, steal, and destroy — to achieve his destructive goals. In addition, the Apostle to the Gentiles asks a question and cites Psalm 44:22 to focus the real issues for us: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:35-37).
Note verse 36. “For the Lord’s sake (i.e., because of the Lord) we are killed all the day long.” The adversary pursues Christians all the time for the purpose of destroying them. He pursues his destructive strategy against Christians because they love and trust God and his Anointed One. Then, “we are accounted (considered) as sheep for the slaughter.” The adversary considers Christians as harmless sheep who are to be slaughtered in his war against God. This evil adversary thinks that his tactics will discourage Christians and “separate” them from their love of Christ.
But he is very badly mistaken. Just like Job, God knows something about the Christians in the Bible belt that the enemy cannot know. Let him rage about and destroy our churches, our goods, our cities, and even our precious families, BUT WE WILL NOT RELINQUISH OUR LOVE FOR AND FAITH IN OUR RESURRECTED LORD AND SAVIOR. With Job we shout, Even though we are slain, we will trust in God and plead our case before his throne (Job 13:15). You see, we are persuaded that no creature — spiritual or temporal — natural or supernatural — is going to separate us from our love of God. And what the adversary will never understand is this: we may look like weak sheep, but we are more than conquerors through him that loves us!
Dear Father, thank you for being our refuge. Today we are looking to your hills because we know that you have all the answers to our questions and solutions to all our problems. Empower us to stand firm in our love and faith despite the raging of the adversary. Enable us to fully comprehend the significance of these natural disasters throughout our world. I pray this in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior. AMEN
Be courageous today in your love and faith,