Pat Robertson made a
controversial statement concerning the earthquake in Haiti
on Tuesday, saying in essence that the earthquake was God’s judgment on the
country of Haiti
for having made a pact with the Devil. Could that be true? Was the earthquake
truly God’s judgment on one of the poorest nations of the world?
What is to be our Theological
frame of reference when something of this nature happens?
One thing we must understand, God
is sovereign. Nothing is beyond His control and all things pass
through His filtered hands. Certainly this earthquake was not beyond God’s
control and He allowed it for a reason.
Was this God’s hand of judgment
on the Haitians? Jesus warned against this kind of presumption (Luke 13) and so should
we. No one can comprehend God’s sovereignty. God’s ways are not our ways the
prophet Isaiah declares. We can only
begin to trust God more fully by looking at this enormous tragedy through the
lens of the cross. Does God love the Haitians? Absolutely! He proved His love
for them at the cross! There’s nothing more God can do to declare His love for
them or anyone else for that matter than through the greatest display of love
fulfilled for all at Calvary’s cross.
God’s love is far deeper and
mysterious than you or I will ever know this side of heaven. Even the horror of
the cross however raises a question: Did God the Father stop loving His Son as
Jesus was dying on that cross? When God the Father poured out His wrath on His
Son for the propitiation of my sin, was God the Father’s behavior motivated by
hatred towards the Son, or a love for Him we can’t truly comprehend? God hates
sin and it had to be punished. God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus as Jesus
took our sin upon Himself. Jesus received the punishment that we all deserved.
In that horrific event however,
God continued to love the Son. God is love. God’s love is eternal. It’s
impossible for God not to love, because love is God’s nature. We see at the
cross the most horrific event one could ever experience, the crucifixion, so
that sin would be defeated. It was in that event that
the wrath of God was appeased through the perfect sacrifice of Himself.
God loves the Haitians! Why did
God allow this earthquake? Only God can answer that question, but the
earthquake is another reminder of how all creation groans for our Redeemer
Jesus Christ. Are we ready? California
may be next!
When bad things occur, don’t ever
believe God hates or has stopped loving you! God will rebuke, judge and allow all
types of events in our lives for reasons only He knows ! In it all don't ever forget the
cross and the ultimate price paid for our
forgiveness and because of God’s love. You are loved that much. Remember too,
Jesus lives and is there with the Haitians today who cry out to Him in their time of
need. God is also telling us to give and go to the Haitians
because He loves them just as much as He love us!