God and the Devil in Storms and Destruction

As can be seen in a careful study of of the book of Job, there are three things behind the dreadful circumstances of life: natural causes, Satanic manipulation, and God's good providence (Job 1:1, 6-12, 18-22; 2:6-7; 42:10-11).

Though nothing happens outside of God's good and sovereign purpose in Jesus Christ (Amos 3:6-7), we should never draw the conclusion that people who are undergoing severe trials are being singled out for punishment because they are somehow worse than we are or are more deserving of God's judgment than are we (Luke 13:1-5).

Death and destruction come to all of us because of the outworking of the consequences of the sin of our first parents (1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Romans 5:12-21).

Furthermore, as dreadful events were warnings to the people whom Jesus addressed in Luke 13:1-9 that the destruction of their civilization was at hand, so all the severe providences we witness are signposts that the ultimate judgment of God is about to fall on our nation and the nations of the world.