08/27/2026
In Luke 13:1–5, when Jesus was asked about a tower that collapsed and killed 18 people, He made one thing clear: those victims weren't worse sinners than anyone else. Tragedy isn't a direct target on individuals—it’s the harsh reality of living in a broken world.
While Scripture acknowledges that evil holds real influence today (calling Satan the "prince of this world"), God remains ultimately sovereign. He doesn't cause every tragedy, but He permits natural laws and free will to play out in a fallen creation Romans 8.
He hasn't walked away—He comforts the hurting, restrains evil, and uses life's fragility to draw us back to Him.
So what’s the takeaway for us?
1. Get right with God first. Life is fragile. Coming to saving faith in Christ ensures that no matter what happens in this world, your eternity is secure in a place where suffering no longer exists.
2. Use wisdom to preserve your life. We have a responsibility to make smart choices.
When I was in Italy recently, I learned that locals near Mount Vesuvius—the volcano that wiped out Pompeii in 79 AD and last erupted in 1944—choose to stay simply because they love where they live, hoping it won't erupt in their lifetime. That’s their free will, but when the next natural disaster strikes, people will inevitably ask, "Why would a loving God let this happen?"
We don't have all the answers for why every catastrophe occurs. But we do know God is good, loving, and gracious to all creation. In a fallen world, we can't control every outcome, but we can choose where we anchor our faith and how wisely we live our daily lives. I am praying for the poor people of Nepal and would ask you to join me in doing so.
Psalm 46:1–3, 10–11
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging...
'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
Pastor Joe Monfreda
