Hurricane Matthew is going to Florida. Millions are evacuating their homes as Hurricane Matthew, predicted to be a category 4 at landfall, advances towards the Florida east coast. The storm is forecast to bring damaging winds and a devastating surge of water all along the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Millions more will lose power for days and possibly much longer. Human lives are at stake. Matthew will not be ignored.
The President has urged people to take whatever steps are necessary to protect themselves. The governors of Florida and South Carolina have declared a state of emergency and have taken aggressive measures to prepare for Matthew. All of this is good and necessary. But no government leader, so far, is calling out to the one person who could avert the path and fury of Matthew.
Our leaders have a choice — pray for the mercy of God now or later offer an absurd moment of silence in the aftermath of this display of God’s power. I do not know if my prayers or anyone’s prayers will avert the catastrophic damages likely to occur from Matthew. But I am praying that God will act in mercy. But even if the Lord chooses unleash the full power of Matthew he is worthy of praise.
Jesus Christ is the ruler of the wind and the waves. But it is illegal to publicly cry out to him. Our nation’s leaders and courts believe that asking for Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Universe, to protect us would offend someone. So, we refuse to offend people who have no power to impact Matthew. Yet we care nothing of offending the God who holds all of our lives in his hand.
Our nation has a choice. This choice is not just about the danger presented by Matthew. The choice is whether we will reach out to God in repentance and faith or whether we will continue to live in rebellion to God and to offer moments of silence at the devastation that God brings.
I pray that our churches will seek God in prayer to turn our culture from its pursuit of the glory of man. I pray we will bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to our dark land. I pray we will become a better example to our children of what it means to live for what is important in life.
Moments of silence or prayers to the God who matters – which will you choose?