When Disaster Strikes

Picture by h.koppdelaney (used under Creative Commons License)
Well I must say, this week has been exceptional when it comes to disasters striking the lives of those who are close to me.

It began last week when my wife accidentally knocked my wedding ring off the side and it fell into the toilet as it was flushing. It was gone (believe me - I looked and looked in all sorts of unpleasant places!).

Then on Sunday night when my brother-in-law's girlfriend was driving back home her tyre burst and her car flipped over on the motorway. She escaped with whiplash, concussion and a fractured rib. The car did not get off so lightly. It is a write-off.

Then my sister had booked and paid for a holiday to South Africa to visit relatives over Christmas. On her way to the airport in London, the whole railway system for the North-East of England came to a standstill due to overhead electricity cables that had broken and were on the tracks. So she missed her flight - a very stressful situation. So we managed to re-book her flight for yesterday. She got to the airport without any problems, but delays meant she took off 2 hours late and as a result she has now missed her connectingt flight in Dubai. So as I write this blog, she is sitting in a hotel somewhere in Dubai waiting for the next flight to Cape Town later tonight . . .

So the big question is: When disaster strikes, what do you do?

Prepare

Well, it would be a good idea to plan for disaster rather than simply react when disaster strikes. This is what Jesus says:

Matthew Chapter 7
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

So, by following the teachings of Jesus, we are building our lives on a firm foundation so that when the storms of life come, when disaster strikes, we will stand firm. We will not fall and crumble into a heap! A life built on a strong relationship with Jesus will withstand the storms of life because the foundation of that life is God himself and He is bigger and stronger than any situation that may threaten to consume us.

Pray

Don't be fooled! Just because you are a Chirstian doesn't exempt you from encountering problems in your life. In fact God often allows problems as it is by going through them that your faith will grow. So when you are in the midst of a disaster, what do you do? Where do you trun?

Phillippians 4
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Our first stop would be to pray. Turn to God. Turn to the source of life, of health, of creation. As the verse in Phillippians says God wants us to pray in the midst of the disaster. As we pray we shift the focus and perspective of the situation. We take the focus off ourselves and the problem, and move it on to God and his magnificent power and provision. You begin to see things as heaven does and are able to gain peace and strength.

Trust

Then you need to trust! Once you have prayed and asked for God's help you then need to trust and have faith that God is bigger than your problem. That God is all sufficient. That God knows the bigger picture. That God will work all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

So when things start to come crashing down around you remember to: Prepare, Pray and Trust


Feedback

If you have any disaster stories to share, I would like to hear them. Please leave it as a comment below.

Also any stories of how God has helped you through difficult times would also be great to have in the comments section of ths blog.

Thanks for reading.

Comments

  1. Bob Blake20 December 2012 at 13:08

    Hi Matt,i went to my own Doctor yesterday regarding the on going problems of my lungs,to find out how my lung function test had gone,well she told me that i have Broncial Asthma,( did not sound good) but due to the consultantant at the Hospital changing my medication the lung function test i had taken was way back to an exceptible level,both myself and the Doctor were very pleased,so all my, and the prayers that members of our Church have said, helped me a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. mattmcchlery20 December 2012 at 14:04

    Thanks Bob. Am so glad your health is getting back on track. God is in control.

    ReplyDelete

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