Psalm 44 – When Disaster Hits
All this has happened to us, but we have not forgotten you or betrayed your covenant. (Psalms 44:17)
Many people are asking: is this pandemic God’s judgment on us? Yes and no. Yes, it’s part of his judgment on the world that came after we rebelled against him in the Garden of Eden. Since then, “the creation was subjected to futility — not willingly, but because of him who subjected it” (Rom 8:20). We’re the ones who subjected our world to this fallen state, so we should expect things like disease and natural disaster as a result.
But on the other hand, each individual disaster can’t be taken as God’s judgment on something specific we’ve done. As the author of Psalm 44 recognized, disaster can come even when we’re faithful to God. During the time of Jesus, the Tower of Siloam in Jerusalem collapsed, killing 18 people. When asked if this was God’s judgment on those people, Jesus replied, “Do you think they were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well” (Luke 13:4-5). Physical death reminds us that something far worse is coming: spiritual death. God uses disasters to help us lean more on his grace.