May 30, 2011
Some would posit that God sent the storms to Joplin. I do not believe that.
I believe there is an epic spiritual battle going on of which, we are mostly totally unaware. It is a battle of proportions that we cannot even imagine. The God of everything continuously battles with the prince of the world, who roams the earth looking for those he can devour.
I believe Satan, in this battle, heaps destruction, death and devastation on the people of this world. His battle plan is to cause the people of our world to forsake their God and curse His name. The battle rages fiercely and totally out of our scrutiny. We reject it because we cannot see it.
In my humble opinion and opinion only, I believe the tornados in Joplin were an assault from the Satanic forces we battle against. I envision Satan laughing at the victory he perceived as the F5 storm devastated a 9 square mile area. I imagine him smirking at the destruction and death and cheering victoriously when the people asked “Where is God?” His siege was working…
And God, I believe was heartbroken at the cost of the battle. God stepped in and began to soothe the pain. He was there with the mother who clung to her child and prayed that Jesus would save them. He was there with the family that hid in the tub and was dumped out on the ground as the vicious winds ripped the tub into the air. He was there with the lady hiding in her apartment tub who cried out to God for the safety of the children in the apartment next who she could hear crying….even as she was trapped in her own tub as it filled with rain water. God was there and I believe if God cries, He cried. I believe he wept for the people He so loves.
And when Satan’s sadistic attack was over, and he proclaimed victory in this battle, God said, “Not yet”. And throughout the country, He spoke to the hearts of His soldiers and He commanded them to GO. And they did. Thousands of dollars worth of supplies, food and funds were shipped within hours. God’s earthly army began mobilizing. The branches of our Lord’s army were forgotten; suddenly we just all served the one true God and were there to bring His love and His peace to a battle stricken area. The saints of God arrived and declared they were taking back what Satan had claimed as victory.
We were all part of a larger-than-life battle. As God’s children, we are called into battle. We fight back the advances of Satan every day. But, in these times, we are called into action. We must choose to stand side by side with our brothers and show the world “where God is”. He is in His children.
He is in the hands of those who gave. He is with those who drove hundreds or more miles to deliver supplies. He is in the hands of the ones spreading hope, who are working side by side with people who lost everything. God is in the midst of those who cried with the broken. He was there as thousands gathered to pray for the peace and courage of the battle stricken areas. And as the people of Joplin looked around and found some semblance of hope and realize they are not abandoned, God began to smile. When they looked to Heaven and reached their hands upward to God, the victory was God’s.
God is alive and He is working through His saints to finish the battle…and the battle is won… so many proclaimed life and victory through Jesus this week. The people we worked with, sorting through the wreckage and the chaos that is now their lives, praised Him and were amazed and humbled at the servants of God. Even those of us working were amazed at seeing God at work. Car after car came by the worksites bringing cold drinks, hot food, snacks…and all were ready to pray and love and listen.
I stand amazed at my Father and how He can take such an ugly strike from the devourer and He can proclaim victory. He can proclaim victory because love still stands strong and the people of God heard the calling and rose up to conquer the destroyer’s victory with the love of their Father.
