Below is a wonderful thought as the world remembers the lost souls of the Titanic 100 years ago this weekend. God is only a prayer away.
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God is Never Silent
By William E. Richardson
“Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O
God!” (Psalm 83:1, NKJV).
It began just before midnight. The engines of the enormous vessel
stopped. The world’s largest ocean liner, the Titanic, had hit an iceberg. No
problem; it was declared unsinkable.
Within three hours the massive ship had plunged beneath the waters of
the North Atlantic Ocean. That sad event, which continues to capture our
imaginations, happened 100 years ago this weekend.
In the decades since, a popular statement has circulated in the Christian
community. It says God sank the Titanic to prove wrong all who boasted of
the ship’s invincibility. But would God have sent more than 1,500 souls into
eternity just to prove someone wrong?
That line of thought has been applied to other situations. Some have
declared structural collapses, massive transportation accidents and natural
disasters all acts of God to get people’s attention. Sometimes costing many
lives. Each time, I fail to hear evidence that such a plan worked. Following
the funerals and the clean-up, people go on living like they did before.
God doesn’t waste His efforts. I don’t believe for a second God sank the
Titanic to show how someone’s words offended Him. He did, however, prove
something that April night 100 years ago — His love.
Ask the survivors. Some aboard the lifeboats mentioned hearing sounds
from the ship other than cries and screams. They heard the band playing
while the ship sank. Some songs were hymns. The final song was,
supposedly, “Nearer My God to Thee.”
The recognizable tune would have encouraged those spiritually ready to
die. It rang out as a sober reminder to those not ready to meet God.
Further evidence of God voicing His love to the panic-stricken
passengers? Pastor John Harper. He placed his 6-year-old daughter into a
lifeboat, but didn’t join her. He swam around in the icy ocean, trying to lead
others to salvation. One convert lived to tell his experience.
Whether we consider ourselves saints or sinners, in our worst-case
scenarios God speaks. Not to condemn us, but to remind us of His love. The
noise around us, and within us, may be loud. We may be hearing conflicting
voices. Amid the confusion, God is never silent.
There will be a Day of Judgment. Meanwhile, God isn’t fickle. As long as
there’s life, He’ll keep drawing us. Amid our crises. When danger surrounds
us like an ocean. The noises may be loud, but God is never silent.
— William E. Richardson is senior pastor of Afton (Iowa) Assembly of God
and blogs at lights4god.com.
