Does God allow natural calamities?

For the people of Nepal, April 25 may have been their appointed day with doom. An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Kathmandu, the capital city, and killed more than 2500 people dead.

On December 26, 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, resulted in a 50 metre-tsunami that claimed 230,000 lives.

Another calamity that lasted three years from 1958 to 1961, was the Great Chinese Famine, the worst on record. While the number of victims is disputed, between 15 million and 43 million were killed.

So much loss of life. Try telling the affected that God cares and is in control and they will almost spit in your face.

The age old question of why God looks the other way when He has the ability to stop these calamities will not go away soon.

But does God allow it?

Our understanding is that God is good so we get shocked and even angry when He allows people to die in such natural disasters.

But then He is God. No single human being can carve or kneed Him into existence.

He does what He pleases and all we can do is trust in His wisdom for there is always a reason behind His acts.

In fact, He cautions us that His ways are not our ways and neither are His thoughts ours.

However, His word provides an insight into the occurrence of disasters. One scripture warns us that disasters must take place as an indication of the end times.

Natural disasters or accidents should humble us, helping us to see our dependence on God to sustain and deliver us. Japan is one country that has invested billions in preventive measures when it comes to earthquakes, but they still happen, proving that man will forever remain a mortal being, helpless in the advent of such phenomenal occurrences.

Still, another verse would probably shock you, “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.”

As you can see, He is God.

Natural disasters have sometimes been the direct judgement of God on a rebellious humanity. The word also shows that God sometimes causes natural disasters as a judgement against sin.

God may use the forces of nature to focus our attention on Him and the greatness of His power. Consider that He brought the flood that wiped out humanity due to sin while He spared a chosen few.

But can’t God prevent natural disasters from taking place? Of course He can. Elijah prayed that there would be no rain for three years and it was so.

We will never explain every disaster that happens. However, we can tune our spirits not to strive with God when disasters hit us but remember He is all powerful, omniscient and knows everything.

What He desires of us is to incline our hearts towards him and worship Him, in good and in bad times.