Where Was God? - John 4:48

“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.’” - John 4:48.

    So, where WAS God during Hurricane Harvey’s destructive winds and flooding in Texas? That, I’m afraid would depend on who is asking. First, the question stands on the presumption of belief in God! How can one ask a question of an entity they don’t believe in and expect to get an answer? Why would God, the Creator, and Sustainer of the universe bother to answer the skeptical question of an unbeliever? No matter what God answered, it would never be enough to bring such an atheist to belief.
    It’s very much like demanding God to provide us with a reason why our loved ones have to die. We don’t always get to have those questions answered. Human beings are simply in no position to demand anything from God . . . period! So if you don’t believe in God now you have another reason to be angry with the God you steadfastly refuse to believe in. That is the definition of bizarre.
    Second, for those of us who are believers, perhaps we should look to the Book of Job. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” - Job 38:4.
    Who ARE we to question the will of the almighty God? The insensitive truth of the matter is rather simple: there isn’t a living or dead human being who has ever had the right to demand an answer from God. In fact, The Westminster Catechism states very clearly man’s role in relationship to God in the answer to the first question - Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
    Holy Scripture gives us an unambiguous answer to questions about God’s presence and His will - “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28.
    God has a plan. Make no mistake about it. God has a plan! It may be to bring thousands more to belief in Him and this terrible storm was His method. It may be to further harden the hearts of those who already disdain their knowledge of Him.
    A three-year-old child survived the flooding of Beaumont, Texas, clinging to the body of her mother and the unbelievers don’t see a sign, a miracle, in that tragedy? Simply put; those who see this incident merely as a tragedy just aren’t meant to find God’s presence there or anywhere. On the other hand, those who see a miracle in this tragedy are fully conscious of where God was in the Texas storm. Every survivor rescued from the raging torrents of the flood waters knows where God was. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1.
    May we all pray for the victims of Hurricane Harvey and know, along with the survivors, that God was indeed there during the storm.