Looking at the news the other day, I was staggered yet again when I saw the tremendous earthquake that happened in Colombia. The death toll had risen to 224 people, and 600 people were injured. A 7.4 earthquake was suddenly upon them, and it made the rescue efforts extremely difficult.
There were many collapsed buildings, and the rescue teams were hoping to find survivors. It is truly a horrible time. The area of Cali was one of the worst areas that was hit by the earthquake. There are heaps of buildings with huge cracks and smashed windows.
Seeing the buildings come screaming down, and the people fleeing for their lives, was truly a horrible sight and a shocking thing to have happened. There are many, many people there looking for loved ones, and they have been told to be as completely silent as possible so that rescuers could hear people under the rubble.
It has been labeled the worst earthquake in Colombia. In Cali, they really do rely on their coffee growing, and they have been totally destroyed. All of the residents are in deep shock, especially so early in the morning after a long weekend.
There was also an earthquake in Venezuela, and many in Colombia felt it before because they share a border.
There are at least 300 people reported missing, and they are expecting many more. In the city of Cali alone, at least 30 buildings have collapsed, and of course there are many others that are now completely vulnerable and dangerously close to collapse. Many hospitals, schools, and so many others have suffered significant damage.
The very thought of those poor people suffering so badly makes your heart ache. All those people missing I can't imagine what those families are going through. Watching the news, there are so many families waiting on site looking out for their loved ones. They must be so horrendously upset - it's hard to get your head around it.
What has come home to me yet again is that none of us ever will know when our time has come, regardless of how carefully we live our lives. The only one I can think of, other than suicides. is the Lord Jesus; He knew what was in store for him when he came to earth.
He knew that his time here would end quickly and pretty awfully, yet, being the holy Son of God, he knew he was going to pay the price for our sins, and he also knew just how he would do that.
He paid his life for all of us so that our sins would be abolished. He did that because he was a perfect person and also the perfect Son of God. He rose again after his crucifixion and is now reigning in Heaven. He did all this to pay for our sins, and all we have to do is acknowledge that he is indeed our God and King. We have to ask him to lead our lives in everything we do. He also has to become first in everything we do, everything we say, and in fact everything.
What happens if you decide you want nothing to do with him at all? You just need to live your life as you want to and have nothing to do with the eternal God at all?
Actually, it just does not end there at all. There is indeed a heaven awaiting all of us if we decide we need to put God first in our lives and, in fact, first in everything.
If we decide on the opposite that there is no God at all or if we decide there may be a God but don't want anything to do with him, then there is a place after we leave this life of ours. It's called hell, and it is eternal torment that never ends.
Do you need that? Believing and giving our lives to God is what Jesus did for us all those years ago, and all we have to do is ask Him to come into our lives and live for him. Putting Him first in everything we do.
All you have to do is pray an earnest prayer, asking God to enter your life and then to live for him. Putting Him above everything else. Of course, that doesn't stop our problems, but giving our problems to God helps us to achieve an amazing life of fullness in Christ.
God bless you this week. Hope to see you next time.
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