By Chris WittsWednesday 4 Oct 2023Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
The sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912 was a terrible tragedy. A number of books have been written on what happened. Plus, movies have been recreated. What happened on the 15th of April in the North Atlantic Ocean, the loss of more than 1500 passengers and crew. The builders boasted that the ship was unsinkable. Such was its magnificence and strength, supposedly. But we do know that ice cut into the ship. It sank. And it seemed to be racing recklessly through an ice field with not enough lifeboats for such a huge number of passengers.
First class, second class and the third class passengers died in the same manner in the deep dark waters.
And yet, because of this disaster, changes were made. Westbound ships in future were moved south, away from the dangerous ice fields, and rules were changed to ensure enough lifeboats were added to future ships. So lessons had to be learned to avoid another catastrophe like the Titanic sinking.
What I’m asking this morning is can good come out of something terrible?
Yes, I believe it can. And when linked to the Christian faith, this whole concept becomes exciting, actually brimming with possibilities even in the darkest times. God is there, even if at the time it doesn’t make any sense because life is unpredictable and uncertain. And actually, the Bible says that our days on this Earth are as the passing of a moment, and disasters like the Titanic force us to confront our mortality and the harsh nature of life.
But our problem is that we’ve become complacent, not thinking that terrible events will have any effect on me. They always happen to other people. I think one of the lessons we need to remember is that we cannot control our own destiny. Terrible things will happen to innocent people, and we do wonder why they happen. Within the Christian circles, people often quote a verse of Scripture from Romans eight, Verse 28. It says all things work together for good. To those who love God, who have been called according to his purpose. Now, sometimes we can glibly say that verse and believe everything is going to turn out for the best. But I don’t think it does. How can you say to a mother who’s lost a baby after a normal birth.
If the babies stop breathing, it’s a shattering experience. But going back to the original Greek translation of Romans Chapter eight, Verse 28 it says. In everything that happens, God works for good with those who love him, and I think that’s a better explanation of what’s going on here. It’s only God who can turn tragedy into something positive. Things happen to us, some of them good, some bad, many beyond our own control.
But one is constant.
We’ve got a loving God who works with us, through us, to produce something good. And you can have faith in such a wonderful divine process, even though you may not know the answer to the why. Questions Johnny Ericson Tata became a quadriplegic after a freak diving accident, but amazingly, she attributes this tragedy to leading her to faith in Jesus Christ.
And today this Christian woman is an internationally known radio host in the USA, a talented vocalist and author of 17 books and an advocate for disabled people worldwide, she’s become a voice for those who have no voice in society.
So the worst thing that happened brought about the best for many disabled people. Also consider the Lord Jesus Christ himself. The Jews had expected and were waiting for a messiah that would take control of Judea and return them to power, which would mean the overthrow of the Romans. And that’s what many hoped Jesus would do.
But they didn’t realise that his kingdom was not going to be of this world rather of the world to come. And so when Jesus disappointed the Jews who sought to take back their land, they quickly turned on him. All of Jerusalem seemed to be against him. And even though through the trial process, he was declared blameless, he was crucified unjustly after a mock trial. And what the world saw as defeat was the greatest victory ever achieved – for Jesus died and he rose from the dead.
This morning, I believe that God can make the very worst things that ever happened in your life, to work for the very best. If you have faith in him.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, I admit that tragedies do come. We hear about them every day. And, Lord, we wonder, can anything positive come out of this? Left on our own, the answer is no. But when you come into our lives, a complete turnaround can happen. And we get really, Lord, a proper balance of what life is all about. Even when the bad things happen. Give me the patience and grace to understand more because I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.