Fearful Events and Great Signs

Q: God is in CONTROL, and allows things which Christians struggle to accept. The common `response` to the question WHY is `God is God, and you are NOT`. So here is my question.
How CONCERNED should we be about famines, violence etc, if God in His INFINITE wisdom, CHOOSES to allow it (pending the wrong decisions that humans make). NOTE: I am NOT ASKING WHY they occur, for the reason stated above.

A: One of the responses you always see when tragedy happens in this world is for people to question God about why something happened. Events like the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004 and the Haitian earthquake of 2010, all leave people perplexed. Add to that the ongoing problems of famine, violence, disease and man's inhumanity to man and the question of God's role, if any, in all this is to be expected. It is normal to be concerned about all these events because of the immeasurable amounts of suffering and loss of life associated with them. It is in times like these where Christians are at their best because they are able to express the love of God towards those suffering as they minister to their physical and spiritual needs. Because of the opportunities that arise to share the Gospel within these trials we should be thankful for them occurring. It is during times of extreme duress that people begin to take their focus off of themselves and on to the things of the Lord. Very rarely do people think about God in times of happiness and joy.

Take for example the Apostle Paul's struggle with sin detailed in Romans 7. After detailing his struggles with his inability to overcome the sin in his life he comes to a conclusion. "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 7:24-25)!" Now, while this is a personal example and not one born of a natural disaster, famine or violence, you can see how Paul's sin turned His focus to God and, ultimately, Jesus Christ. Similarly, when someone is forced to deal with the consequences of sin, whether it be their own sin, the sin of others or the effect it has on the world we live in, it humbles us to the point that we seek out God in hopes of finding answers to it all. That is were your concern should be focused. We live in a time that when nearly everything that happens in the world is known by the world in a short amount of time. Even tragedies that don't immediately effect those around us makes them ask these ultimate questions about God. Therefore, we should ask the Lord "How can this situation be used to glorify You?" Remember, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)."

What better way is there for God's will of having people come to faith in Christ Jesus to come about then through a tragic event? How often do you hear a testimony given about how someone came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ that is centered around some suffering they experienced? Famines, violence and natural disasters would qualify as things that cause tremendous amounts of suffering. They can be used by God to draw people to Himself by stripping them of all they held onto here in the world. When all you put faith in and counted on in this world is gone where else is there to turn, but to God? Hunger, violence, planes crashing into buildings, waves washing away homes and the ground swallowing up all that rested on it certainly are times that focus people on God. And as Christians we can be available to God to use these situations as an opportunity to win souls for the Kingdom. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)." We use the suffering that God has brought us through in our lives to help those presently suffering in their lives.

Rarely, do you read in scripture where the focus was on events like famines, violence and natural disasters. The Bible mentions them in a historical context or as signs of things to come. However, the focus is always on winning souls. That is a Christians primary concern in this life. And that is where your concern over these things should, ultimately, be placed. Jesus said, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven (Luke 21:10-11)." Jesus said this not so we would be concerned about them, but that they are to be expected as His Coming nears. As we see these terrible events taking place in the world around us we should be both encouraged and emboldened. Encouraged because we know these events are a sign of our redemption drawing near. Emboldened because we know that time is running out for unbelievers who have not come to faith in Jesus Christ. We should be thankful to God for the opportunities to share the Gospel in the midst of these tragedies and pray we are discerning enough to recognize them and be available to Him.