Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Floods
I was watching the news and saw the damage the floods have caused to Boscastle village. Luckily no one has died. Can you imagine how it must feel when all your belongings are just washed away? Not for the sake of material things but all the memories and momentous...
I was stuck in the middle of flooding once. Luckily I lived on a higher part of the city. The water came to the ground floor area. Only up to the ankles. We all stayed upstairs. We were very worried because I had my aunt with us who was 9 months pregnant. I went with the rescue man in a little boat to see my little sister who was stuck on the roof with the family she had gone to visit in the other area. It took 2 days to get her back home. She said the worst part of the flood was that she wanted to use the toilet but couldn't !
That has also reminded me of a terrible thing I had heard in the previous incident of flooding. I was only 7 but remember it clearly. There was a very heavy rain. It came without much warning. The river got swollen very quicky. Before the officials can take steps the dam on the river broke. Every where there was water. I knew a lady who was standing in the first floor window watching her son playing on bicycle in the street. All water just gushed down with a great force. The little boy got thrown away in the force of the water and in front of his mother's eyes just disappeared. The mother survived but the boy was never found. How sad !
When things go wrong we blame other people. Who do we blame when the nature goes against us? God?
I was stuck in the middle of flooding once. Luckily I lived on a higher part of the city. The water came to the ground floor area. Only up to the ankles. We all stayed upstairs. We were very worried because I had my aunt with us who was 9 months pregnant. I went with the rescue man in a little boat to see my little sister who was stuck on the roof with the family she had gone to visit in the other area. It took 2 days to get her back home. She said the worst part of the flood was that she wanted to use the toilet but couldn't !
That has also reminded me of a terrible thing I had heard in the previous incident of flooding. I was only 7 but remember it clearly. There was a very heavy rain. It came without much warning. The river got swollen very quicky. Before the officials can take steps the dam on the river broke. Every where there was water. I knew a lady who was standing in the first floor window watching her son playing on bicycle in the street. All water just gushed down with a great force. The little boy got thrown away in the force of the water and in front of his mother's eyes just disappeared. The mother survived but the boy was never found. How sad !
When things go wrong we blame other people. Who do we blame when the nature goes against us? God?
# posted by butterflyuk : 8/18/2004 02:37:00 am
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Actually, in some cases, blaming God is actually a legitimate course of action. Perhaps not the most noble thing you could do, but still not necessarily turning directly against him either. The Bible gives us a very good example of this in the book of Job.
Job tells a story of a man put through many trials and tribulation by the Devil. Why? Because Job was such a faithful servant to God, and righteous in God's eyes, that God trusted Job to be able to stand up to the Devil's attacks, and allowed the Devil to pour his wrath upon him.
Job Chapter 1, vs. 9-12:
"Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.' 'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied. 10 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.' The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD."In carrying out his task, Satan took from Job all his camels and livestock, and killed all his servants and children.
Job's response is found in vs. 20-22:
"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.' In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."The trials, however, did not stop there. Job 2:3-9 describes how Satan was next allowed to afflict Job with sores upon his entire body, and Job's amazing response to this.
"Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.' 'Skin for skin!' Satan replied. 'A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.' The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, 'Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!' He replied, 'You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?'
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."Bottom line of all this is: Life happens one way or another whether we like it or not. Sometimes it's Satan trying to get us down to take us away from God. Sometimes it's God allowing Satan to try us, in order to strengthen us, or to laugh in Satan's face as we prove ourselves faithful to Him. Whatever happens though, God is always there and always has his master plan working in our lives as we allow him to. We just have to stay faithful, and take the good with the bad just as we must with any other relationship in life.
-End Preach-
- Iszi
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Job tells a story of a man put through many trials and tribulation by the Devil. Why? Because Job was such a faithful servant to God, and righteous in God's eyes, that God trusted Job to be able to stand up to the Devil's attacks, and allowed the Devil to pour his wrath upon him.
Job Chapter 1, vs. 9-12:
"Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.' 'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied. 10 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.' The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD."In carrying out his task, Satan took from Job all his camels and livestock, and killed all his servants and children.
Job's response is found in vs. 20-22:
"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.' In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."The trials, however, did not stop there. Job 2:3-9 describes how Satan was next allowed to afflict Job with sores upon his entire body, and Job's amazing response to this.
"Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.' 'Skin for skin!' Satan replied. 'A man will give all he has for his own life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.' The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, 'Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!' He replied, 'You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?'
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said."Bottom line of all this is: Life happens one way or another whether we like it or not. Sometimes it's Satan trying to get us down to take us away from God. Sometimes it's God allowing Satan to try us, in order to strengthen us, or to laugh in Satan's face as we prove ourselves faithful to Him. Whatever happens though, God is always there and always has his master plan working in our lives as we allow him to. We just have to stay faithful, and take the good with the bad just as we must with any other relationship in life.
-End Preach-
- Iszi
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