Mercy in the Floods

The floods this week are totally different to the flood that the Lord sent at the time of Noah.

That flood was a specific act of judgement by God on a world that had become “consistently and totally evil” (Genesis 6:5) and was “corrupt and filled with violence (Genesis 6:11).

But, even as he acted to wipe out a generation of humans, he showed mercy upon Noah and his family, giving him a warning and a way to be saved.

But after that flood, God promised that, “Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” (Genesis 9:11)

But, humans have continued to rebel against God, but the solution is different: God shows his love for us by placing his anger upon Jesus instead of his followers who seek his mercy:

“For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

Which means that devastating floods are not to be considered as an act of judgement upon our world, but instead, a warning to repent.

For, when his followers asked him to explain why a disaster had struck, Jesus said:

“Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?… Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.” (Luke 13:2-3)

Whether it’s drought, bushfire, flood or pandemic, these disasters are an important time for us all to consider Christ in the crisis.

As we pray for the recovery of our land from these devastating floods, let us also pray that through this disaster might be a fresh opportunity for people to find eternal comfort and security in Christ Jesus.

JODIE McNEILL

(Credit: delphic via flickr.com)