I am so grieved to hear about the earthquake in Japan. Devastating. And I am praying that God will comfort, direct, and turn this into good for those who remain. Like any natural disaster, it would be unbelievably hard to pick up and go on if you had lost family and friends.

But I believe this earthquake is about God. Everything is about him and how he loves us. I know it sounds strange because most people are questioning his existence and goodness in times like this.

The amazing thing about God is that he is relentlessly pursuing us. He wants to get our attention when life is good without heartaches and troubles; and regretfully, rarely do we want to look at him then. There is no need. But in times of crucial crises, then we suddenly are all ears and want to hear a word of comfort and direction… maybe from a God that we do not believe in fully at the moment or even trust.

God is not put off. He wants us to come to him. He will comfort and make things right.

So when an earthquake or tsunami is happening across the world, I stop and pray for God to reveal himself to those who remain. With His strength, the worst hours may be their shining moment of eternal change… it comes unexpectedly for sure.

My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness.

Isaiah 26:9

An earthquake may be a judgment in the earth. I am not saying that God is judging the people, although he has the right to judge. All mankind have wicked hearts when we oppose our Creator. We are continually sick and wicked. What I see in the verse is that God is pursuing humankind with a strong hand. We are created to love him and be in relationship with him.

I hurt for the death and destruction. And I hurt for the loss, and I pray for the people of Japan. They are precious in God’s sight. But I believe in God’s ways, he has a higher purpose that I don’t understand or see. May the people of Japan call out to him as never before.

For some, it takes an earthquake to reveal that God is love. And that is the irony of our wonderful Father, with whom there is no shadow of turning or variance in this earthly life…