The devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria this year claimed more than 50,000 lives. As a result of this earthquake, millions of people were left homeless and forced to live outdoors. In Syria, the earthquake compounded the suffering of people already enduring years of war and terrorism.

The earthquake occurred along a major fault line, with nearly 8,000 aftershocks in the Middle East, felt in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt.  Significant earthquakes (measuring over 6 on the Richter scale) also occurred in Tajikistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand, the Kermadec Islands in the Pacific, and northern Iran. Dozens of volcanoes erupted around the world, in places such as Indonesia, Japan, Chile, Peru, and the Far East of Russia.

Unfortunately, another powerful earthquake struck again, this time in Morocco, where it killed nearly 3,000 people. The quake had a magnitude of 6.8, and its epicenter was approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh. The death toll continues to rise as desperate search efforts continue amid the rubble. Over 300,000 people have been affected, including nearly 100,000 children. Entire villages have been destroyed by the earthquake.

In the Gospel of Luke, we learn that the Lord Jesus warned His disciples about these events: “There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying portents and great signs in the heavens.” (Luke 21:11). However, we have been warned that it is not only earthquakes that will strike the earth and cause significant damage and loss of human life, but also the fury of the sea, which will mercilessly strike the inhabitants of the coastal regions: “And there will be distress among the nations, as they will not know what to do when they hear the roaring of the sea and the waves.” (Luke 21:25).

Today we hear and see that catastrophic floods caused by Storm Daniel have struck Libya. The death toll from the devastating floods in the city of Derna, located on Libya’s eastern coast, has risen to at least 11,000. At least 30,000 people have been displaced in Derna alone. Furthermore, nearly 300,000 children who were exposed to the floods caused by Storm Daniel face an increased risk of cholera, malnutrition, diarrhea, and dehydration.

What should we understand from all this? First of all, we must know that all these signs were foretold and are under God’s control. Nothing that is happening in the world right now happens without God’s will. Next, we must recognize that God uses these events to turn our gaze toward Him. The Apostle Peter said that “the present heavens and earth are being reserved and kept for fire on the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2 Peter 3:7) and that “the Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

It is certain that God will soon judge this world full of sin and lawlessness. Here, on our earth, the greatest injustice has taken place. The Son of God was unjustly judged and punished. Not that people had any power over the Lord, but that God accepted this injustice for our sake. The Lord Jesus said, “I lay down My life, that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me by force, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again; this is the command I received from My Father” (John 10:17–18).

Is it any wonder that God will judge this world? Could God possibly do anything more than what He has already done for humanity? He has done everything He could for His creation. In the history of humanity, not a single person has ever been recorded as having done so much good: the blind received their sight, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf began to hear, the dead were raised to life, and the poor have been preached the gospel of salvation. Moreover, God has shown great patience. For nearly 2,000 years, the death of the Lord Jesus has gone unpunished, and His sacrifice has been mocked. People are ignorant of God’s message of salvation. And what is this message from God? That the Lord Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). That only through heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and through repentance for our sins can we be saved. Saved from destruction, from God’s wrath that will soon be revealed on earth. Saved from the fire of His judgment that will soon engulf the entire earth, including the inhabitants of our country.

If you are not reconciled to God, do it today! Be reconciled to God today while you are still alive! Confess your sins to God and ask for forgiveness while there is still grace! Ask God today for the strength to free you from every bondage of sin, for it is written: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36) God can set you free from any sin and offer you a life lived with dignity alongside Him. And if you have taken the step toward God and repented of your sins, God has words of encouragement. He says that deliverance is near: “When these things begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.” But for all those who have not repented of their sins, they must know that “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” (Hebrews 10:31). The Lord Jesus “has His winnowing fork in His hand; He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12). Where do you stand? Are you chaff or wheat?

The Word of God tells us that “anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15). Strive to have your name written in the book of life! Enter the gate of salvation through faith and repentance, and run earnestly along God’s path! And stay alert and watch in prayer until the coming of the Lord Jesus, so that you may have the strength to safely endure the coming tribulations that will engulf the earth: “Be on guard at all times and pray, so that you may have the strength to escape all these things that are about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36).