(美国阿拉斯加州播音) ©World Christian Broadcasting Shortwave Radio Station KNLS, Anchor Point, Alaska, USA Recording Studios: Franklin, Tennessee, USA
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Tsunami/01:
By Edward Short My friends, Kin Fatt and Chrissy Lau, live in Penang, Malaysia. Chrissy has relatives whose home is only ten meters from the Penang beach. They enjoy their daily views of the sea and they love their home on this tropical island. On December 26, 2004, however, their home almost became their coffin. The Sumatran earthquake and tsunami claimed at least 210,000 lives in eleven nations. Many more people lost their relatives, their homes, their possessions and in some cases their hope. What do we say when we face tragedy as overwhelming as this tsunami? Where do we go for strength when we face such massive loss of life? As a Christian, I turn to the Bible and in that book I find the message that has echoed through the millenniums—that God is love and that God is near. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth,” said a writer of the Psalms [121:2]. Tragedy is not the time to turn away from God or to doubt his presence or love; rather it is an opportunity to receive from him the strength that only he can give. The Bible affirms that, The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them… The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit [Ps. 34:17-18]. In addition to those who perished, the tsunami affected hundreds of thousands of people who are still alive. God’s love is available to each of these people. God wants to be close to my friend Chrissy and her family and he wants to be close to you and to me. God wants to comfort the brokenhearted and to save those who are crushed in spirit. God wants to help put the fragile pieces of life back together for those who survived the tsunami and to help them restore hope. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, when God’s people faced a national crisis and most of the country’s infrastructure had been destroyed, God foresaw the rebuilding of the country and described his people with these picturesque words: Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings [58:12]. If God could enable his people in the ancient Middle East to rebuild their country then, he can enable his people in Asia to rebuild today. Allow God to work in your life, permit him to comfort your broken heart, give him rein to save your crushed spirit. Determine to become a Repairer of Broken Walls and a Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. |