This week’s devotions are based on Week 2 of Stormproof – Tornadoes of Tragedy (CLICK HERE)
As a parent, you made sure to take things away from your child that were harmful or potentially harmful to them.
If you saw them with matches or a lighter…nope. They can’t have that.
If they somehow got ahold of a bottle of cleaner…swipe that away quickly!
At times after you take away a harmful thing, you child has a fit. They cry and scream and make a prolonged fuss. If they are old enough to articulate their thoughts they might even say, “I hate you!” (Maybe this is older when you take the car or phone away from them!)
In the moment your child has no ability to see the blessing in you taking away that item. They were convinced that they should have that item and to have it taken away was the worst thing in the world and you as a parent were to blame.
Is it possible that tragedy might be one of God’s ways to take away from us something that was going to be harmful to us?
Read this parable Jesus told before you answer…
Luke 12:13 A man in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.”
14 Jesus answered him, “Friend, who gave me the right to judge or to divide the property between you two?” 15 And he went on to say to them all, “Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be.”
16 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, ‘I don’t have a place to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,’ he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store the grain and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?’”
21 And Jesus concluded, “This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God’s sight.”
Could it be that tragedies sometimes remove the idols in our lives? Could it be that the only way God saw to prevent eternal tragedy was to remove an earthly idol?
It’s hard to always understand the mind and motives of the Lord and exactly what he is up to. However, one thing is certain. He wants us in heaven and wants nothing to get in the way.
If I lose my job unexpectedly…is it possible that job was taking way too much time away from the Lord?
If I lose a significant piece of my property (home, business, etc.) is it possible that that item was security I was relying on instead of the Lord?
If I lose a loved one, is it possible that person was more important than the Lord in my heart?
To be sure, I don’t know…but it’s worth reflecting on.
If someone or something is first in our heart, it’s an idol.
Idols replace our love for God and maybe God is removing the idol in our heart to lead us back to him.
Tragedies do expose our hearts…but it’s not to turn them from the Lord, but to return them to him.
Apply: Have you experienced a tragedy? How has God used it to turn you back to him?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving me enough to remove things in my heart and life that get in the way of my relationship to you. Keep my love for you always first in my life. AMEN.