(Excepts) By Laura J. Bagby

CBN.com

"The waves of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me. The grave[a] wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face. But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I called to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears" (2 Samuel 22:5-7).

The above Scripture passage, a heartfelt cry of King David written thousands of years ago, is also very telling of the experiences of many of those recently suffering with 'natural disasters'.

God does hear the cries of those who suffer in the aftermath. The Lord God is close to the brokenhearted, to those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). He is our refuge in times of trouble (Psalm 59:16).

And He is answering the cry for help in part through the humanitarian efforts as Operation Blessings, Samaritan's Purse, The Salvation Army, and the Red Cross, just to name a few, as well as through government funds and military rescue efforts.

In the meantime, as the rest of us stay glued to the television set, transfixed at the images of horror that have transpired, possibly waiting to hear from loved ones, we must not allow our hearts to faint to the point that we lose hope and begin to question the goodness of God. We can become overwhelmed when we dwell on tragedy, which is exactly why the Bible tells us to set our minds on things above and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).

When our hearts are troubled, we must seek the Lord. When we give our anxious hearts to God instead of remaining paralyzed by our fearful thoughts, we gain His peace. The Bible tells us plainly in Philippians 4:6-7:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" .

John 14:27 also notes the exchange of fear for peace. Jesus states:

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"

These are the times to remember just who our God truly is, a God who is there and a God who cares. So let us pause to consider our Great King. Let's look on heavenly things for a moment to calm our nerves.

WHO IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF TRAGEDY?

Our Comforter

• "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

• "Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places And her wilderness He will make like Eden,And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her,Thanksgiving and sound of a melody" (Isaiah 51:3).

Our Deliverer

• "But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
  He speaks to them in their affliction" (Job 36:15).
  
• "He is my loving ally and my fortress,
  my tower of safety, my deliverer" (Psalm 144:2).

• "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17).

Our Overcomer

• "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
  

• "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

Our Guide

• "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Our Upholder

• "Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you" (Isaiah 41:10).

Our Protector

• " Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared" (Proverbs 3:25-26).

• "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance" (Psalm 32:7).

Always with us

• He says he will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5).

The Unchanging One

• "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

The Compassionate One

• "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15).

Isn't it good to know how great our God is! He is our Defender, Deliverer, and Mighty God. Let us choose to trust in His goodness in these troubled times.

"The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever" (Psalm 29:10).