Anytime a natural disaster strikes, it’s understandable that big questions come to mind, about things like life, death, and why we are here. The magnitude of death and destruction caused by earthquakes, fires, tsunamis, or floods displaces our normal everyday thoughts, leading us instead to seek explanations for suffering.
Often we answer our own questions based on our personal understanding of God. If He does something that doesn’t fit into the box we’ve designed for Him, we easily become angry or confused. Since we are mortal, earth-bound, and sinful, we have a limited understanding of how life actually works. But our eternal, sinless, and sovereign Creator is omniscient—He sees and knows what we cannot perceive.
God has given us His Word to help us wrestle through these difficult issues and grow in our knowledge of Him. An accurate viewpoint of the Lord’s role in natural disasters must come from the Bible, not from our own narrow perspective of life. Of course, we’ll never be able to fully comprehend such a mighty, transcendent God, but the more we understand how He works in the world, the greater our trust in Him will be. Keep in mind, however, that when His ways defy comprehension, then faith in His goodness, love, and wisdom must be our foundation.