"What in the world is going on?"

One of the guys in my firehouse asked me this question recently. A few of us were discussing the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear emergency in Japan, along with combat in Lybia, problems in the Middle East, etc. So he turned to me for some answers. My response was two fold. First, I can't answer specifically for God, but I do know that God is in control, He has a plan, and is never taken by surprise. He has a plan for the world, and Satan will do everything he can to try and stop it. Plus, we live in a physical world that is impacted by the fall of Adam, so natural disasters and other physical suffering will take place. Second, God loves and cares for us, and for the hurting people around the world. He cares so much that He became a man in the person of Jesus to experience life as we do, including all of the hurt, suffering, and betrayal we could ever experience.
This is seen in many of the promises He gives us in the Bible. One of my favorite is Psalm 46, God is my refuge and strength, and a very present help in times of trouble.
What in the world is going on? God has a plan, and that plan includes the return of His Son. So expect more natural disasters along with wars and rumors of war as we move closer to the completion of His plan.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul