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Formations lesson for Feb. 22: When Disaster Threatens
Shane Nixon, Director of Development/ Church Relations, Baptist Retirement Homes of North Carolina
February 10, 2009
2 MIN READ TIME

Formations lesson for Feb. 22: When Disaster Threatens

Formations lesson for Feb. 22: When Disaster Threatens
Shane Nixon, Director of Development/ Church Relations, Baptist Retirement Homes of North Carolina
February 10, 2009

Focal Passage: 2 Chronicles 20:1-12

I am very aware of the admonition against adding to or taking away from scripture. This is meant to be neither. However, I think the first word in verse 9 of the focal passage really could be changed. If disaster comes? Shouldn’t that be when?

Open the paper, turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or log onto any news site on just about any given day and you’ll see all the disaster your eyes can handle.

From natural disaster to war and strife brought on by people’s actions to each other, it seems to me that in discussing disaster, we are almost always talking “when” and not “if.” I have a pastor friend who says if life hasn’t rained on your parade yet, you haven’t planned enough parades.

Disaster happens. It is our response to disaster then that is significant here.

In this passage, the people of Judah sought help from God for the impending disaster. And they believed.

They believed God would cause them to withstand whatever disaster came. Verse 20 reads in part: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established, believe in His prophets, and you shall prosper.

When disaster threatens, believe in God.

Believe in Him and the disaster will not be able to shake you.

Believe in His word and you will flourish. This is easy to say, but it can be harder to do.

Disaster — even the threat of it scares us. We want God to stop disasters, not walk with us through them. We want God to help us avert disaster, not help us pick up the pieces when it happens. But God doesn’t always do it the way we think He should. And so we see disaster of all types and kinds. And we know God will be with us when it comes.

Disaster strikes and it is not always a complete loss. Albert Einstein once said that there is some good in disaster, in that all mistakes are wiped out. That is true, and is good news I suppose, but as Christians we have better news. God is with us when disaster strikes. All we have to do is believe in Him and take Him at His word.