Our prayers, physical assistance and compassion should be for those who are suffering from the losses caused in the Victorian fires. One of their many struggles will be to understand “why”.

Romans 8 reminds us that the very creation itself is now suffering frustration as it waits for liberation from its bondage to decay. Our world is groaning and natural disasters are part of God reminding us that this world is passing away. Our hope ultimately lies in the world to come.

However, God is really concerned about the here and now. He desires us to show love to those in great need. He also wants us to be storing up treasure in heaven. He wants us to be “building for eternity”.

Today we are reminded that it is Christ who is building His church. He builds gatherings of Christian people to serve our needy and struggling world.

Stephen Semenchuk