The following devotion is reprinted from Texas Floods: Where Is God in Tragedy? by Ken Ham on July 7, 2025
Across America, and in other places throughout the world, Texas is on people’s minds as they think of the terrible tragedy that occurred this past weekend from flash flooding in several Texas counties that has killed over 80 people so far, with many being young girls who were at a Christian camp.
Scripture tells us to share one another’s burdens, doing all we can to help such people.
We all try to put ourselves in the position of the parents or grandparents who lost a young daughter or granddaughter in this devastating flood. We just can’t imagine the grief from such a catastrophic loss. Scripture tells us to share one another’s burdens, doing all we can to help such people. And there are many such ways we can help materially and spiritually.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
I was watching a news program about this, and the reporters were saying people are asking, “Why would this happen?” and “Where is God in such a tragedy?”
Christians know that we live in a fallen world because of our sin. We understand that death is the penalty for sin, and all humans are under the judgment of death. We know that those who put their trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation will live forever with our Creator in a place where there will be no more death, no more tears.
But knowing all this still doesn’t take away the awful grief and what those who lost loved ones have to go through. And even when we know God is in total control, and as Christians we know we will see our loved ones again, during this life, we never get over what happened, even when we come to grips with it all.
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The words of Job (who suffered terrible loss and tragedy) echo in my head when I hear of such tragedies like the one in Texas, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15). I know it’s easy to say, but we are only human and still cry out, “why Lord?” And it’s ok to do that as we grieve and plead with the Lord for answers and help.
In a fallen world, all things are certainly not good.
In times of tragedy, Christians often quote Romans, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). And this is true, but note it doesn’t say all things are good! In a fallen world, all things are certainly not good. But nonetheless, God is in control and uses all things for his purposes, as difficult as that is for us to understand. And certainly, for those going through such grief, it seems almost impossible that tragedies such as the loss of those young girls could be used for good.
But let’s stand back and look at all this from a big-picture perspective to see what God may be teaching us.
First, it’s a reminder of how horrible death is and the terrible separation one feels when a loved one dies. This should remind us of the terrible separation that occurred between us and our God because of our sin in Adam (Genesis 3).
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. (Isaiah 59:2)
A reminder that we need to be reconciled to our God through Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17–19)
Secondly, it’s a reminder that no one is immune to death. The Bible makes that clear:
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)
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But I also want us to look at this from an even bigger perspective. There are thousands of children who die each year in America from accidents, diseases, congenital malformations, and so on. There are people grieving every day of every year over the loss of loved ones. There are millions of children who die each year in the world. Oh, how horrible is our sin! “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
We can’t escape the fact that this world groans every day because of our sin:
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Romans 8:22)
Yes, a tragedy like the one in Texas gets news headlines and brings to people’s minds the reality of death and a reminder of our own mortality and that life is short. That’s why it’s so important for people to hear and respond to the saving gospel message so they can know they will spend eternity with God and not be separated from him for eternity:
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
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We grieve for the families in Texas who lost loved ones. We grieve for families who lose loved ones every day of the year. We grieve over the state of this world and what our sin (yes, our sin—we sinned in Adam—we are all responsible) has done!
No doubt God will use this horrible tragedy for good. Certainly, it will remind people to think about their own mortality and eternity. No doubt we will hear of wonderful testimonies of how God’s people helped each other. I do not doubt that God will use all this to bring people to salvation. Yes, as Job came to recognize, we have to get to the point of letting God be God. Yes, it’s hard! Yes, we will struggle. Yes, we will grieve. Yes, we will question. But in the end, we pour out our hearts to God and trust him and recognize who he is as Job did:
I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?” Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. “Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:2–6)
And then we claim what God promised in his Word:
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken