The Texas floods make us question God, but we have to hang onto faith

This is our rainy season here in Texas, but the rains we experienced last week have been unusual. They’ve been likened to hurricane-type storms, where the rain comes in and it just doesn’t go anywhere. Out in the hill country it is very rocky, so all that water runs quickly. A lot of places didn’t just get flooded; they just got completely swept away by all the water that fell in a very short amount of time.

There are similar camps to Camp Mystic all over America. Some campers go for a week or two. Some older children can be there for a month at a time. They have Christian counselors, speakers, Bible studies and games. It’s designed to help young people connect with the Lord and the Christian people around them.

A lot of people want to blame someone when things like this happen. But Camp Mystic has been in operation for almost 100 years, so we can’t blame the location or the people. This particular camp just happened to be in the area where that severe weather hit. A lot of the encampments in Texas are built along these old, dry riverbeds. For the last 100 years, very few of these places have been affected. The water may rise a little bit, but nothing like this particular storm event.

Bad things don’t happen to good people. Bad things happen to all people

Camp Mystic had cabins all along what is normally a beautiful area that people visit for recreation and leisure. The water came in so quickly. While the cabins weren’t necessarily swept away, they filled up with water. The devastation was pretty quick, especially because it was at night.

One of my long-time friends has been pastoring in Kerrville, Texas, which is right in the middle of it. We’ve been texting and talking. When people began to hear about what was happening, they started coming to his church. It was the middle of the night. Parents wanted to know what was going on and began driving towards the camp. His church basically turned into a triage shelter. People were sleeping on the pews and on the floor while they were waiting for news. A large portion of the girls at Camp Mystic are related to people in his church. So, it’s been especially horrific for them.

I get asked a lot of times: Why do bad things like this happen? Or the classic question: Why do bad things happen to good people? And my answer is: Bad things don’t happen to good people. Bad things happen to all people. We live in a fallen, broken, sin-stained world. We know this isn’t heaven yet - that’s still coming. So until then, we have to hang on in faith and deal with the blows of this life as they come.

I always think of it as a sports analogy. We’re like a footballer who has got the ball. We’re bouncing off tackles, trying to fix our eyes on the end goal and shed the things that come at us along the way. Does God prevent every wrong that happens? Of course not. But can he redeem and work through them? Yes, he can.

It was the middle of the night. Parents  began driving towards the camp. His church basically turned into a triage shelter

We have to remember, especially in moments like this when we start wondering whether God is still sovereign, whether he’s stronger than our circumstances or the things we encounter - if you read the scriptures, Jesus made it very clear that in this world we will have trouble. Sometimes believers stop there and think: Well, all we have in this life is trouble. But Jesus kept speaking, and he said “but take heart. I’ve overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Looking at a situation like this, we have to remember that. And, in the days to come, to pray for the people that have been affected directly.

First and foremost, pray for the families and those who lost loved ones. Also there are a lot of people, besides those who were at Camp Mystic, whose entire homes and lives were swept away. So pray for them. Then pray for the first responders, government officials, emergency personnel and military who are frantically searching through piles of debris and helping to restore essential services. It is very hot, dangerous and difficult work out there at the moment.

And pray for the churches and believers in our area, those whom God has and will continue to use to minister to people in need. They’re not just trying to comfort people mentally but meet their tangible needs as well. When this storm hit, all the infrastructure went down. Internet services, electricity. There are people who have absolutely nothing now. So, pray for them, and for God to use people who have to help people those who don’t.

Dr Burleson was speaking to Kelly Valencia. Read more about the deadly floods in Texas on Premier Christian News