What would you do if a huge slab of ice came crashing through your roof and smashed on the floor right in front of you? You’d probably jump in momentary dismay, wouldn’t you?
A family in a small Virginia community lived through just such an experience. On a fairly warm, clear night in early spring, ice came plunging from the sky. A neighbor, who happened to be on his porch at the time, saw another hunk of ice splatter on a nearby roadway. He heard or saw no airplane from which the ice might have dropped.
You’ve seen hail in a summer thunderstorm. A hailstone large enough to smash through a tin roof would indeed be rare. But such a piece of ice from a clear sky would be even more bizarre.
An investigation took place, but nothing conclusive turned up to explain the destructive chunk of ice.
The story has been reported of a German boy who was struck by a pea-sized meteorite in June of 2009. If the story is true, this would be the first reported incident of someone being hit by a meteorite and living to tell about it since 1954 when a woman in Alabama was hit by a meteorite.
It seems that natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity. Some blame it on “global warming” or the more current buzzwords, “climate change.” People are becoming scared about what might happen to them. On top of those fears are the disasters brought on by mankind himself—acts of terrorism and violence and the possibility of economic collapse.
No matter how safe we think we are or how well protected we are or how healthy we are, disaster could befall us at any time. The writer of Proverbs was right when he said, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).
I once heard of a man who built a reinforced house of stone to guarantee he would have a safe place in case of storms and atomic attacks. But Christ is the only guaranteed shelter in the time of storm.
Nothing we can do will prevent earthquakes, tornadoes, tidal waves, falling hunks of ice, or meteorites. We must surrender our lives to God and learn to trust His will in these situations. Here are some promises God has given the believer to claim in disaster situations—and always.
God is concerned about us. He is aware of our needs. “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31).
God will protect through dangers. Even if our lives should be taken in a disaster, God still protects us from evil and eternal death. “The Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
God won’t overtest us with trials. He never gives believers more than they can bear with His help. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
God will preserve our souls. “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul” (Psalm 121:7).
All things work out for the good of God’s people. “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). As the songwriter has said, “God hath not promised skies always blue.” Neither does He assure us “flower-strewn pathways.” “But,” continued the hymn writer, “God hath promised strength for the day.”
The chances are small that a chunk of ice will soon come crashing through your roof. But numerous other things as disastrous or worse could happen to you at any time.
Are you prepared to surrender to whatever God may choose to teach you through the experience? If we let them, hard experiences will help us turn to God for strength and power. Trials can also be our undoing—the choice is with us.
Yes, strange things keep on happening. We think disasters will come, but certainly not to us. We never know what a day may bring forth. Look to God for help.
Roger Berry