“For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Psalm 95:3–8).

Associated Press reports: Tokyo—“A ferocious tsunami unleashed by Japan’s biggest recorded earthquake slammed into its eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it carried away ships, cars and homes, and triggered widespread fires that burned out of control.”

 Widespread evacuation efforts continue, people and buildings displaced and millions without homes or power. 80 foot waves plow through areas where over 1 million people live and work. Devastation is headed toward Hawaii and the US west coast. How very tragic!

I see a piece of white fabric wave outside a window as the radio broadcaster announces, “People surrender to the power and force of nature.” Really? Nature, I don’t think so!  God, the Creator of heaven and earth and the seas, is the one ultimately in control. He sees all. He knows all and longs for us to worship him, the Ruler over all.

While growing up, my family and I survived a tornado whose path went straight through our campsite. A huge oak tree landed in the spot where my parents would have been sleeping if we had remained in our camper. My mother felt the urge to get in the car and drive to the other side of the campground; my Dad followed her advice.  God spared my whole family that day from injury and death. Scary? Yes, but we thanked God for saving our lives. When horrible things happen, what and who is really important in our lives immediately surface. The small stuff seems far, far away.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for preserving my life and my family’s life many years ago. I want to sing praises to you, God! May I never forget your countless blessings and benefits.

Ask: Is there an area in your life that needs attention? Some selfish desire you should not be pursuing? Do you hear God pleading with you to not harden your heart and come back to him?

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