When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. (verse 6-7)
Message: Tragedy and God
Time: Genesis is the first book and Moses is credited as authoring. The book spans 2400 years of time. It was originally written in Hebrew.
What the Lord is Saying: Mining dam shocks a community killing 19. Events like this having us questioning evil, wondering about God. The Bible reminds us of (1) the reality of the moral and spiritual fall of man; (2) the holy and just character of God; and (3) the suffering of Christ Jesus for us. Apart from grace, all of fallen humanity is subject to the just punishment of God, which includes temporal evils (like disasters) and spiritual afflictions, both in this world and the world to come.
Genesis says, "Cursed is the ground because of you" in Genesis 3:17. So natural disasters as well as issues due to human error occur because God has cursed the ground because of the sin of men and women. These events are to wake us up to reality of who God is, bring us to repentance, restrain us from sin, focusing us not on the things of life, but on the ways of God and the things to come.
These bad events that occur in our lives is the product of our collective apathy toward God. Thus, it is Christ who God has sent to enter our lives to end the suffering of man from sin, forgiving us and bringing answers to us and comfort in these hard times. He works through people and gives us comfort and hope for tomorrow.
I speak to a lot of people online that bring up these issues. People sometimes don't believe in God because their immediate needs are not met. Sometimes it is hard for me to reconcile those that have versus those that don't have. But the reality is God has mercy on us, offering forgiveness to those that profess their faith in Him. Not all people will. Some will choose their own way. For some this seems random, but I think to God there is a real determined focus on who receives the blessing. Thus, we seek God in the difficulties, thank Him for His grace, look forward with hope for the future and comfort one another in the losses.
Prayer: O God, I am so thankful for your grace that I don't deserve, but I so desperately need. Thank you for the peace that you give and the good life I have. I don't understand but keep giving me peace and increase your peace to others. Help them trust in You. It is hard to hear how many reject you because of a tough life. Keep me grounded in You, trusting in You and living for You.
