Wednesday, May 04, 2011

The Imminence and Suddenness of Death Pictured in the Cloud of a Tsunami

This incredible photograph was taken near the shores of Sumatra Island, Japan, just seconds before the March 14, 2011 tsunami smashed into this oceanside neighborhood. The wave that hit Sumatra measured  105 feet high. The cloud of dust preceded the tsunami by a second or two. This digital photograph was found in a camera plucked from the rubble by Japanese rescuers. The person who took the picture did not survive. What you are seeing is the last image in the iris of the photographer's eye before his life ended on earth.
It vividly impresses on us the power of our Creator and the truth that He is the ultimate Captain of our destinies and not we ourselves.

It could easily be argued that "the prince and power of the air" (Lucifer) is responsible for the death and destruction resulting from tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and other events that insurance companies and lawmakers used to call "acts of God." It cannot be argued, however, that nothing happens on earth except the Lord Himself permits it, prohibits it, or promotes it. In the end, all things work together for good to them who are the called according to His purpose. How would you respond when confronted with the knowledge your life will end in seconds? To those loved by God, ransomed by Christ, and at peace with the Creator, the coming tsunami of death should evoke a settled sense of rest within the soul. You can't stop it, you can't prevent it, you can only accept it. The knowledge that through Christ you have escaped the wrath of God due your sins is the confidence of the redeemed.

You and I may not have been in Japan, but our tsunami is moving toward the island of our lives.

"Prepare to meet thy God."