Updated 26 Apr 2020. Originally published 2 Sep 2005.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I heard a Christian sister talking about an email she had received. The email said that the sender didn’t “understand why God would do that to all those people.” This sister’s response was that the devil came to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give us life, so “don’t blame God.”  That’s a very common sentiment, and it sounds nice, but there’s one big problem with it: it doesn’t line up with Scripture.

The Bible very clearly teaches that God – and only God – has the power and authority to direct events.

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“If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?” (Amos 3:6, NKJV, emphasis added)

This verse is pretty clear and straightforward, but I’m sure that some of you are still not convinced, so let’s take a look at a few more verses.

“I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7, NKJV)

Some of you are probably saying, “But that’s just the Old Testament,” so let’s add a few New Testament verses.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8, NKJV)

So it doesn’t really matter that the verses above are “just the Old Testament”; they still describe the same God.

“…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45b, NKJV, emphasis added)

Who commands the sun and sends the rain? God does.

“But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. SO the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'” (Matthew 8:26-27, NKJV)

Jesus’ disciples were not brainwashed by a “love means warm fuzzy feelings” society. They were astonished in this instance because they knew that if the winds and sea obeyed Him, Jesus must be God.

So what about John 10:10 (“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”)? In this instance, it is out of context, pure and simple. John chapter ten is very clearly speaking of spiritual life, and of those who lead people astray by claiming to be of God when they are not. There is nothing in the context to suggest that anything in these comments is physical.

A careful observer may also note that the language here precludes the possibility of the thief’s bringing life, but does not specifically preclude the possibility of the shepherd’s coming to steal, kill, or destroy. It does not teach that the shepherd does, but neither does it teach that he does not. In fact, the Bible teaches that God kills.

“Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39, NKJV)

Now we are back at the original question: if God did this, why?

The short answer is that I just don’t know.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [His] ways higher than [my] ways, and [His] thoughts than [my] thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9, NKJV)

The longer answer, though, is that maybe we should turn to His Word and consider the reasons He has sent calamity in the past. We have no guarantees they’re His reasons for this specific event, but they might give us some worthwhile insight.

“Because My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to worthless idols, and they have caused themselves to stumble in their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in pathways and not on a highway, to make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and shake his head. I will scatter them with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity.” (Jeremiah 18:15-17, NKJV)

In this instance, God brought calamity on Israel because they had forgotten Him. Have we forgotten Him? Have we sacrificed – probably not incense, but how about time, money, and effort – to other gods (like ourselves)? Have we left His ancient paths?

“‘Because you have had an ancient hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end, therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you.'” (Ezekiel 35:5-6, NKJV)

In this instance, a nation was destroyed for hating the Jews. Have we been guilty of this? Most of us probably have not, personally, but take a look at our nation’s recent history. How well have we supported the Jewish people who are being killed for living in their own home? How well has our media – which we support with our viewing habits and our finances – portrayed these victims as victims?

These are not necessarily the reasons that God sent us a hurricane, but does God not have good reason to send judgment on our nation? Have we become so arrogant that we believe we measure up to God’s righteousness?

Throughout the Old Testament, nation after nation feared God because they saw His power displayed, and they knew that He truly was God. Let us not be guilty of shortchanging Him by giving the glory to His creation (the devil) for something that the world inherently knows could only be done by God. Let us give God the glory and confess that Yahweh truly is GOD!

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