God and the California Wildfires

The wildfires in California have destroyed thousands of homes and killed multiple people. The reaction from the people who have lost their homes in this tragedy vary greatly.

Some are grateful they survived.

Others blame the government for not doing more to prevent these fires.

Yet others are blaming God and are wondering if this is part of His wrath on the people of California for their sinful lifestyles.

What Does God Think About Wildfires?

The good news is that God has told us what He thinks about disasters like this. If we ever want to know what God thinks, we look to His son, Jesus. In the Bible it is recorded that Jesus was asked about a group of people (from Galilee) who had been killed by an evil leader as part of his sacrifices. Here is Jesus’ response:

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2-3)

Jesus doesn’t stop there. There was also an incident at the time where a tower collapsed and killed 18 people. Jesus responds to this as well:

“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:4-5)

Jesus didn’t say these people didn’t deserve what happened to them. He didn’t tell them to blame the government and take the evil leaders to court. He didn’t say that God caused these disasters because the people were so evil. He simply reminded them of the brevity of life. He knew that all people will die one day. Sometimes their deaths will be tragic, sometimes they will be peaceful. 

Either way, the one thing He told people to do is to repent. That means to turn back to God and put Him in charge of their lives. The consequence of not doing that would be that one day, they too, will perish (which means to be destroyed or lost).

Ask and You Shall Receive

God loves to give people wisdom on how to deal with these kinds of problems. Before the fires started, during the fires and even now, He loves it when people ask Him for help.

If people asked Him, He could have told people not to build their houses in a desert where wildfires frequently occur.

Seek and You Will Find

Even if people did decide to build in a desert, he could have provided advice about how to prevent a major fire from occurring. He could have told them how to cut regular fire breaks in the right places or build their houses from fire resistant materials. He could tell them when it is not safe for people to light fires. He would have encouraged people to ensure all reservoirs are working efficiently so there is enough water to quench any small fires before they flare up.

Failing this, He can teach individual people how to be prepared to save their houses from burning to the ground. There are examples of people in California who have saved their houses because they knew the fire risk beforehand and prepared themselves. They deemed that it was safe to stay and prevented their houses from burning to the ground. Their houses are still standing, when all the other houses around them burnt to the ground.

Knock and the Door Will Open

Even now, with wildfires raging out of control, He can send rain to completely quench these wildfires. If people would only humble themselves, and ask Him, as this well-known Bible verse  shows:

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

What Now?

Please don’t say that the wildfires in California are an ‘act of God.’ God doesn’t delight in seeing people die or houses burnt to the ground. He will, however, let people live with their choices. He is like a parent watching their stubborn child destroying their life and feeling frustrated that the child won’t listen. He is not going to force them to listen. He is just hoping that one day they will realise the error of their ways and come back to Him. And when they do, He will be there.

To the people in California, I say this. If you turn back to God and put Him in charge of your lives, He promises that He will heal your land. But this is conditional on you. You must humble yourself, pray and seek His face and turn from your wicked ways. Only then will He hear from heaven and forgive your sin.