DOES GOD ORDAIN NATURAL DISASTERS?

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14

God is absolutely holy, absolutely good and absolutely sovereign and all powerful ordaining                            that comes to pass.

Natural disasters are                     by God to carry out His divine purposes.                     can happen unless God ordains it. Psalm 104:1-4; Isaiah 45:5, 7; Daniel 4:35; Amos 3:6; 9:6

Lutzer: It appears that the Bible is not as concerned about God’s                       as some theologians are. It puts God clearly in charge of the wind, the rain, and the calamities of the earth.

When God ordains anything to come to pass, His purpose in doing so is altogether and

absolutely                            .

When God directly brings natural disasters He doesn’t do it capriciously but always has

a                            .

We should never ask the question, “How could God           this?” but rather “Why doesn’t He allow this more often.” Thank God we do not get what we completely                     . Deuteronomy 28:63; Isaiah 29:6; Ezekiel 38:19-20

God’s physical creation was affected negatively by the               of man. What God perfected man has                              .

Lutzer: God either rules nature                   or through secondary causes, but either way, He is in charge. After all, He is the Creator, the Sustainer, of                     things.

The fact that God has ordained that natural disasters exist doesn’t diminish the rightful place of                 &                          .

The victorious message is that even in the midst of these bad things God is accomplishing a                 purpose, even if we do not know what it is.

Trusting God is not a matter of my                        but of my will. The act of the will must be based on belief, and belief must be based on                    .

We must believe the truth that God carries out His own purposes without ever being thwarted by               or             and He so directs and controls all events and all actions of His creatures that they               act outside of His sovereign will. Job 42:1-2; Psalm 135:6; Isaiah  14:24, 27; 46:9-11

If there is a single event in all the universe that can occur outside of God’s sovereign control then we cannot               Him.

God                 , for reasons known only to                    for natural disasters to take place.

When natural disasters strike God is not on trial                 is on trial.

                            God in the midst of natural disasters and other tragedies and afflictions is a great                of the reality of your worship.

Are you worshipping a God who is absolutely                        , who works                         after the council of His will Ephesians 1:11?

THIS IS THE GOD OF THE                  . THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB, THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST?

Is he                       God?

Is he the God you                                 ?

Is he the God you                         with your                       ?

He is the only God who can                  you, the only God that can                         you.