Joy for the Redeemed

“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things. You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it.” Isaiah 45:7-8

Anytime we witness complete devastation of a region such as Haiti we are called to compassion and service. We are inundated with the media coverage and the plea for us to help. It is essential for us to step up in servitude and help do the work of the LORD – to comfort, to serve and to encourage. A call to action in devastating times is the manner in which God can show His righteousness through His people. But, I would like to go far above the devastation of the landscape in Haiti and view it from the standpoint of the redeemed, those who He delivered through this disaster straight into His arms.

“The LORD said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people…I have heard them crying out…I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Exodus 7-8.

This area is no stranger to devastation for it is a way of life for them. Each day is a search for life and a search for survival under the rubble of poverty and famine. There are so many people in regions such as this who experience death in some form daily. They experience true hunger, disease and incredible famine. They live in a region deemed hopeless and forgotten by many…but not forgotten by their God. What is seen by man as earthly disaster is given by God as eternal prosperity. He has opened the earth and salvation has sprung up – the salvation of the redeemed people who now walk the streets of gold. He has brought to them prosperity that we can only imagine and showered them with His righteousness never to be hungry and scared again.

But what about those who never were reached to be told of the wonderful Redeemer?

“Rather, as it is written: ‘Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.’” Romans 15:21

God makes the divine provision for these children in His family. For those who were never reached by the Word and never experienced God’s peace on earth are alive in Christ now and living like they have never known.

We hurt for those family members left behind for we know the pain that is theirs. I have been left behind to experience grief, loss and despair through my own disaster of my sister’s death but praise be to the Redeemer “who calls things that are dead to life.” Disaster, disease and despair come to us in chaos, devastation and imperfection, “but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” 1 Cor. 13:10

Dear Father, please be with those left behind for loss is their disaster and thank you for transforming the lives of so many by bringing them to your eternal home. In Your Name, Amen.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Phil 1:21