As we all should know, the Queensland floods are getting worse and worse by the hour. Many towns have been engulfed with water, people’s houses have been trashed, families are distressed, many people are missing and people have lost loved ones.
I am in Sydney, and it seems hard to know what to do when you are so far away. It just doesn’t seem real. The floods are very dangerous whether you are stuck in your car being swept by the current, or you are one of those daredevils that stand at the edge of the water. What can we who are far away possibly do?
Pray:
Perhaps it's time for us all to stop thinking that it will blow over and everything will be back to normal. Everyone can help, and everyone can be involved. The first thing we can do is pray for the people in Queensland and think about what we can do to make a difference. Thousands of homes have been wrecked; people who have finally managed to create their dream home have seen it swept away and lost. We must pray for people all over Australia and specifically for the people in the very badly affected areas.
Remember God is in control:
God made the massive flood in Genesis 7, lasting for one hundred and fifty days! But then he stopped it all and everything was almost back to normal. He then promised that he will never make a flood like that covering the earth. As a symbol of his promise, God made a beautiful rainbow shoot out of the sky.
“Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.” (Genesis 7:22-24)
“Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.” (Genesis 8:20-21)
Donate:
It doesn't matter how big or small your donation, every dollar can help. If you would like to donate to the Queensland floods, please head over to: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html
Read more about suffering & tragedy
If you or your friends have questions about God & suffering, you might also like to read this article 'A Christian response to tragedy suffering'.