THE world has been truly stunned by the images coming into our living rooms from the massive earthquake which violently shook the earth’s crust just beneath Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
The sight of the desperate earthquake survivors working their bleeding hands to the bone to free those still trapped under the concrete rubble brought tears to my eyes.
At first, I could not bear the sight of such human suffering in an already impoverished country and quickly turned the TV off. President Obama amply described the quake as “cruel”.
A similar incident happened a few years ago in a different place. On December 26, 2004, there was an extreme fracture of the earth’s crust somewhere out in the Indian Ocean. This caused great tidal waves to go racing towards Indonesia and other island nations and left hundreds of thousands dead.
Some accounts say the ocean first receded, leaving fish, shells and other beautiful things stranded and exposed on the seashore. Folks on the beach could not believe their luck as they beheld the shells. Then suddenly, without warning, they came face to face with this great wall of liquid death racing at 500 miles per hour towards them.
Over 200,000 people died. Among them were honeymooners, intent on pleasure and happiness together, and a number of tourists.
Nations quickly put aside their ideological differences and came together to ponder what could be done. There was a diligent search for bodies, the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate, all equal in death.
One puzzle though, there was no carcasses of pets and other domestic animals, not even those of elephants and the buffaloes. It was obvious that these creatures somehow received and heeded a warning that humans had not been able to receive and left for higher ground earlier, thus avoiding the stampede.
The only animals that died were those that were chained or restricted. Only the supposedly intelligent human beings took no action, perhaps distracted by worldly pleasures and business pursuits.
I’m told animals have an in-built system of knowing when disaster will strike and are therefore able to take appropriate action. Over and over we hear of how animals had a head start over humans before calamity strikes. I’m sure even in Haiti, most animals left the danger areas well before the quake struck. God put this sharp sense in them.
Sharks too can detect the smell of one drop of blood in one million drops of water. Owls can hear the footsteps of a mouse half a kilometre away while elephant feet are padded in such a way that they can feel any movements of the tectonic plates. But we are not sharks, neither are we birds of prey, nor are we elephants. How are we to receive warning signals, you may ask? Through the Holy Bible!
The Bible warns that before Jesus Christ’s second coming, earth’s condition would be like in the days of Noah and also of Lot. According to the Genesis accounts, the earth in Noah’s time was filled with violence.
Look at today’s newspapers, and you’ll know that we are there. Even the UK government has considered arming the police with firearms to protect them.
What about in Lot’s day, how was it? The principal sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was sodomy and it’s the name of a pervasion in our day that is being voted as legitimate and acceptable in civilised and so-called Christian nations all over the first world. If you don’t go along with it you are in deep trouble and labelled as intolerant.
Talk show audiences around the world gaze star-struck as celebrities and ordinary folks appear saying “we’re coming out.” Then they jeer at anyone who dares stand up for God.
Even the clergy who are supposed to be holding high God’s banner are themselves perverts and will proudly tell you all about it. No wonder the average person would rather go watch a football match than go to church! But this is symptomatic of the days of our lives, the last days.
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” [Matthew 24:7-8].
According to Jesus, worse is still to come. You ain’t seen nothing yet. For one thing, as we near the end, powerful quakes like this one will strike with increasing frequency and intensity. Watch what Revelation 16:18 says: “And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.”
Am I trying to scare anyone? The answer is Yes! I hope to God I can before it’s too late!
Some people are quick to point fingers and think the Haitians “called” this upon themselves by doing evil things. Are the Haitians more evil than other people? No. I respectfully disagree. It’s just the times. A similar incident happened in Christ’s day and He commented thus: “… those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” [Luke 13:4-5].
In insurance, they term such catastrophes “acts of God” but they are really the acts of the devil. The devil would like to kill us all if he had his way but Christ intervenes to protect us. It is, therefore, by the mercy of God that we are living today.
“…The earth will grow old like a garment, and those who dwell in it will die in like manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be abolished.” [Isaiah 51:6].
When I was younger, and didn’t have much in the way of clothes, my garment would grow old and thread bare and tear up at the seats and my mother would mend it. But no sooner would they tear up on the sides and my mother would mend it and then to the front and so on.
God says the earth is waxing old similarly. It tears up in Cambodia and nations rush to mend it, then it’s Greece and they run to mend it, then it’s China and they run to mend it, then it’s Haiti and they run to mend it, then it’s Zimbabwe, and they will run to mend it.
Most people are tired of this place but don’t know where to look for answers. Some look to the forthcoming elections as an answer to their problems, hoping on a new government would help. No! It will be more of the same things, at best. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Only He can satisfy the yearning of our hearts.
Our life span here on earth Biblically is around 70 years (Psalms 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten …). Our days on earth are filled with trouble, trials and illnesses. Moses appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, a man of over 1,500 years of age, he did not have arthritis or back problems or any such illness that affect our aged.
God is promising us eternity, so if He would shorten my days on earth by just a few hours in exchange for eternal salvation will that not be great? Let’s stop asking God why He could allow even babies to die in the rubble of Haiti, but rather trust Him because He looks at things from an eternal perspective unlike us.
After all, didn’t Jesus allow His own cousin and forerunner, the one about whom He said, “among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” to be beheaded by the adulterous king Herod? (Matthew 11:11).
John had heard that Jesus was in the vicinity and wondered why he is not being set free from prison. He then sent two of his aides to go and ask, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:3-6).
Friends, do not allow yourself to be offended of Jesus or the enemy will take away your salvation. Trust Him even when things don’t make sense.
When we come to the end of our journeys, wouldn’t it be great to hear the Lord say: “Well done, you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things, now enter into the joy of Lord.”
So, where was God when the Haiti earthquake occurred? He was at exactly the same place He was when His only begotten Son, Jesus, died on the cross that Friday afternoon almost 2,000 years ago. His throne is an everlasting throne!