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Nelson John
Tsunami thoughts by John Rackliffe
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19)
It is difficult to comprehend the devastation that has come to the coastal towns of Northern Japan in the wake a 9.1 earthquake followed by a tsunami wave that swept away everything in its path for as far as three miles inland. Thousands have been killed and many more missing and hundreds of thousands are without homes living in shelters or wandering the countryside.
A few days before the quake the Holy Spirit impressed upon me in my quiet time the contemplation of the holiness of God. I was immediately drawn to Isaiah's encounter with God which reads,"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." I thought what an awesome picture of God. How would I react if I were in Isaiah's shoes? Isaiah continues, "At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke." Immediately Isaiah was struck with the realization that he was in the presence of a powerful force, the Creator of everything. Isaiah was overwhelmed ("undone") by his sinfulness, unworthy to be in the presence of such holiness. "Woe to me!" (Isaiah cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
As I watched the video coming out of Japan I was drawn back to Isaiah's vision. With one flick of God's almighty finger, the earth shook as the huge tectonic plates shifted moving the earth by an estimated 6.5 inches shortening the length of each day and disturbing the ocean surface as to cause a series of tsunami waves that would travel 3.5 miles inland sweeping away houses as if they were match sticks and tossing cars and boats like toys. Through the lens of His creation, God showed the world his awesome power. At the sight of the disaster evangelist pastor John Piper recalled dropping to his knees in prayer crying out:
"Father in heaven, you are the absolute Sovereign over the shaking of the earth, the rising of the sea, and the raging of the waves. We tremble at your power and bow before your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a moment in the twinkling of an eye we too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh."
Pastor Piper (like Isaiah and me) recognized God's presence in that natural disaster and was immediately "undone" (Isaiah 6:5 KJV) before Almighty God.
Mainstream commentary vis-à-vis the disaster has primarily focused on the economic impact, the search and rescue effort, and the possible nuclear power plant reactor meltdowns. However there are only spurious references to God's wrath. Immediately after the disaster Tokyo's Gov. Shintaro Ishihara called the disaster "divine judgment,"in a statement to reporters which he later retracted, he said, "Japanese politics is tainted with egoism and populism. We need to use tsunami to wipe out egoism, which has rusted onto the mentality of Japanese over a long period of time.I think (the disaster) is tembatsu (divine punishment), although I feel sorry for disaster victims."
The tsunami, however, was not punishment for those who perished but a wake up call for those left behind. After God created the world (Genesis Chapter 1) he set it in motion His plan for all mankind which continues today in the aftermath of the destruction in Northern Japan. From God's declaration to Adam and Eve "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it," to the fall of man (Gen 3) and the fulfillment of God's redemption plan through His Son Jesus, in His omnipotence, God has known from the beginning how all things have and will play out. Everyone who was killed on March 11, 2011 was known to God before they were born. God knew their hearts. Some would spend eternity with Him and some at judgment day would be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:12-15).
In his Wednesday blog Joel Rosenberg wrote, Bible prophecy tells us that the Lord is trying to get our attention. He is seeking to focus all nations on our desperate need for His love and His mercy. Is the world listening? Are you?" To those of us who remain after such devastation, Rosenberg's question demands and answer! God's final wrath upon mankind (remaining on the earth when Jesus returns) as promised in the Book of Revelation will make the events of last Friday mild by comparison. Further, God's judgment (Rev 20: 12-15) will certainly include everyone who was ever born since the beginning of time, therefore:
How will we receive God's reminder of our certain appointment?
What impact will this event have on those of us who survived this disaster?
Will we try to reconcile with our Creator or will our lives go on as usual?
Will we be "undone" like Isaiah and Pastor Piper or will our "egoism" remain "rusted onto (our) mentality?"
There are more of these disasters on our horizon each one sent by a loving God desiring to get the attention of those who survive them. How many will it take for us to repent from: abortion, greed, adultery, pornography, pride, and obsession with the world over a desire to know Christ? What will it take for us to be "undone," by the power and love of our Creator?
My prayer (Lord Have Mercy by Steve Merkel performed by Robin Mark)
Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken
Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim
With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom
Forgive me for my unbelief
Renew the fire again
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
I have built an altar where I worship things of men
I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
I have longed to know You and Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness ever flowing without end
I bow my heart before You in the goodness of Your presence
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night
May God comfort those left behind.
John Rackliffe is a retired naval officer living in Charleston, SC with his wife Judy. John prays one day to be a full time Christian writer. His devotional blog is:www.www.examiner.com/conservative-christian-in-columbia/john-rackliffe
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