2004年，我的朋友，刘锦发先生和他妻子，住在马来西亚，槟榔岛。刘太太有亲人，家离开海岸只有十公尺的距离。因为他们每天欣赏美丽的风景，所以很喜欢住在这热带海岛。但是，2004年12月26日，那天，他们的房子，差一点，就变成他们的棺材。
苏门答腊岛的地震和随后在十一个国家引发的海啸，使得二十一万多人丧命。更多的人失去了亲人，房屋，财产等，甚至于失去了希望。
面对这样压倒我们的灾难时，我们可以说什么呢？我们从哪里可以获得力量使得我们忍受得住？
身为基督徒的我，把《圣经》打开，阅读从亘古以来的信息，说：神就是爱；《圣经》又说，神离受害之人不远。《圣经》诗篇的作者说，“我的帮助从何而来。我的帮助从造天地的耶和华而来”。
面对灾难之时，既不是离开真神之时，又不是怀疑神的同在和爱的时候。相反地，是个机会让我们获得只有神能赐下的力量。
《圣经》确认，“义人呼求，耶和华听见了…耶和华靠近伤心的人，拯救灵性痛悔的人”（诗篇34:17-18）。
除了丧命者以外，海啸影响了数百万还活着的人。神愿意把他的爱赐给他们每一位。神愿意亲近我的朋友，刘太太和他的家人；神也愿意亲近您和我。神愿意安慰那些伤心的和拯救那些灵性痛悔的。神愿意帮助那些死里逃生者，把他们易碎的生命再次建造起来，而且赐给他们希望。
《圣经》旧约，以赛亚书，记载说，当神的子民面对国难时，基础设施都毁坏了，神预知该国重新建造。神用以下的话描绘他子民的未来：“古老的废墟将由你们重新建起，在流传下来的根基上复兴。你们将被称为重建城墙和修复居民区的人”（以赛亚书58:12 普通话本）。如果那时候，在古代的中东，神能够使得属于他的人重建他们的国家，今天神也能够使得在亚洲所属于他的人重新建造他们的国。
请您让天上的神运行在您的生命上，允许他安慰您破碎的心灵，让他拯救您压碎的的灵魂。请您立下决心要成为一位“重建城墙和修复居民区的人”。
In 2004, my friends, Kin Fatt and Chrissy Lau, lived 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.
【天灾】一：生还者的希望——神的爱
Natural Disasters (1): Hope for Survivors: God’s Love
作者：谢德华 ©By Edward Short
World Christian Broadcasting