When Disaster Hits
When I heard about a plane flying into the twin towers, my instant response was to call my parents.
Reference: They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:14 TNIV)
Explore: Whenever a great disaster hits, my first desire is to connect with my family. When I heard about a plane flying into the twin towers – even though I was thousands of miles away from the scene – my instant response was to call my parents.
When fires ranged within 50 kilometres of my home, on Victoria’s Black Saturday, I had phone calls from every member of my family. There was nothing they could do about the fast moving fire front, but they could show their support and love to me.
I know I’m blessed to have a close-knit family and when big things happen in our lives we connect with each other to give our support.
Application: A great deal had been going on for the disciples. Jesus had endured a horrific death but now He had revealed Himself to them and ascended into heaven.
With this roller coaster ride of emotions, what did the disciples do? They gathered together. There were only a few who would have understood everything that had taken place, and so, they gathered to show support and share together.
And the one thing that held them closer was prayer. They may not have known what the next step would be, they didn’t know what God would reveal in the near future, but they had each other and their commitment to pray.
When things take an unexpected turn in our lives we gather towards the people we love the most. But let’s not forget to be like the disciples who committed themselves to pray.
Prayer not only joined them to other believers, but it helped them to connect to God. He is the ultimate family member who we can cling to in times of trial.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for always being there for us to connect to. May we not forget You in times of need. Amen.
What is your first response when disaster hits?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.