Fifty-one years ago in Valdivia, Chile, a catastrophic event occurred. One of the largest earthquakes ever recorded, struck this region. It registered at 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. Within the context of loss, the homeless numbered in the millions, but loss of life was significantly less as there were warning shocks before the actual quake and many people fled from their homes.
Our world has yet been rocked again by a similar record. The earthquake that battered Japan registered at 9.0 on the Richter scale. The loss of life and livelihood is beyond most of our comprehension. Incredible stories of grief and loss pour in daily on the news outlets. One particular piece I read in World Magazine was from an eye-witness account of a young missionary in Japan. He likened the destruction to an atomic bomb.
When we are faced with such enormous tragedy, our initial response is often, “Where are you God?” I am amazed at the tenacity of the human spirit, but I’m even more in awe of the Holy Spirit in times of crisis. As I read accounts of the heroic efforts in Japan, I realize that God is there, in the midst of this devastation. The army of people who have raced to assist, the native Japanese who have not looted or created panic as they waited hours in line for daily bread, the missionaries and pastors who are choosing to stay and minister to the inhabitants are all evidence that God is able.
The word able is a word that gives me hope. It is found numerous times in the Old and New Testament. In the New Testament, it is usually in the form of the Greek word, “dunamai”. It means: capable, strong, powerful, mighty, having power to do something. From this word comes the root word for “dynamite”. I find it fascinating that the same man who invented dynamite was the founding sponsor of the Nobel Peace Prize, the pacifistic Alfred Noble. Can power and peace co-exist? I believe that God intended for us to comprehend both through His word. It is often that when we remember God’s power, we receive peace.
Matthew 9:28 Jesus is able to heal….
Romans 16:25 God is able to establish us….. (see past blog 02/02/2010)
II Corinthians 9:8 God is able to make all grace abound to us……
Ephesians 3:20 God is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine…….
Jude 24 God is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless in His presence……
This word able, “dunamai”, reminds us that God is powerful, mighty, strong, and capable.
But what do we do with the hurt in the world, the pain and at times what appears to be the absence of God? One word: TRUST! If we trust in the dunamai of God, then we have to trust Him even when life does not seem fair. Nowhere are we ever promised fairness, but we are promised that God will never leave us and that He is able to save us (Daniel 3:17). Trusting God’s power will bring you His peace even in the midst of the storms of life! The Apostle Paul gives us this truth:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus Our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39)
Reflect on God’s dunamai today! His Power and Peace will never leave you. Trust this promise!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Advertisement
Filed under: facing fears, Hope, Women and Faith Tagged: | God Revealed, strength in weakness, Trust
