Help in the Time of Need
Just last week, our community experienced a devastating tragedy when an out-of-control car crashed through one wall of a school and exited through another, resulting in the deaths of children and a young adult, while causing numerous injuries. Since this tragedy, there has been an enormous outpouring of help from our community to the affected people.
This led me to think about God’s provisions during calamities. No, He doesn’t raise those who were killed. God didn’t even do this for Job (Job 42:12-13). Nevertheless, the Bible is overflowing with accounts of individuals, families, and nations being cared for by the hand of God.
A nation: God used Esther to save the Jews dispersed in Persia from being annihilated.
A people: God used Joseph, son of Jacob, to save his family from famine.
A person: God used Ananias of Damascus to lead the Apostle Paul to salvation.
Consider the famine that arose in Jerusalem in 45 AD, during the reign of Claudius Caesar. Claudius ruled Rome from A.D. 41-54, following the assassination of Caligula, that exceptionally wicked ruler.
We learn from the contemporary historian, Josephus (Ant. xx. 5), that Claudius’s reign was memorable for its frequent famines, with a significant one affecting Judæa and Syria around 45 AD,
The populations of Judea and Syria were in great distress but were relieved by a great gift from Helena, Queen of Adiabene, a proselyte to Judaism, who sent in large supplies of corn, figs, and other articles of food. Also, the church in Jerusalem was cared for ahead of time by Christians outside the affected area.
I say, “ahead of time” because this famine in 45 AD was prophesied by the prophet Agabus. We find this account in the Book of Acts.
And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. - Acts 11:28-30
God hasn’t changed. He knows what you will need before you even need it. Our supplies are stored up for needs we do not yet know of. God is so, so good to us.