Friday, August 28, 2026From the news

Refuge in the Roaring Floods

Amid the heartbreaking flash floods devastating Nepal and Tibet, Scripture reminds us that God is our ever-present refuge and strength, comforting those who mourn and walking with us through the waters.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (NIV)

Psalm 46:1-3

But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.' (NIV)

Isaiah 43:1-2

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (NIV)

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Dear friend, as I sit with this heartbreaking news from Nepal and Tibet, my heart aches alongside yours. A catastrophic flash flood, triggered by a glacier collapse high in the Himalayas, has unleashed what some are calling a 'tsunami from the sky.' The death toll now stands at 389, with bodies recovered across districts like Chitwan, where 137 have been found, and Nawalparasi East with 87. Rescue teams have pulled 466 injured from the mud and waters, but over 1,300 remain missing—many of them pilgrims and tourists from the US, India, Britain, and beyond, drawn to sacred sites near the Tibetan border. Families like that of Venus Rajnikant Patel, a US citizen on a guided tour, cling to slender hopes, even as friends whisper the painful reality of loss. Entire villages lie obliterated, bridges and 25 miles of roads washed away, power plants swept into the Bhotekoshi River. And now, a rising lake at the disaster site threatens to burst, bringing fresh danger to survivors and rescuers alike. In the face of such raw power—waters rising 7 to 9 meters in just 30 minutes—we feel the earth's fragility, the suddenness of sorrow that leaves us breathless.

Take heart, beloved one. God sees every tear, every desperate search along those ravaged valleys. He knows the cries of parents in Rasuwa, where 17 lives were lost and 289 rescued, and the quiet grief in Kathmandu, where the injured arrive for care. In moments like these, when mountains seem to tumble into the sea, His Word draws near like a gentle hand on our shoulder. Listen to Psalm 46:1-3: 'God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.' Picture it—the very imagery of that glacier's collapse, the roaring Bhotekoshi, the quaking earth from a nearby earthquake. Yet the psalmist declares no fear, because God is refuge. He is strength when our knees buckle, ever-present when isolation threatens. This isn't a distant God; He's the one who holds the foundations steady, even as floods rage.

And oh, how He speaks tenderly to those passing through such waters. Isaiah 43:1-2 comes as a balm: 'But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you."' Notice the promise isn't escape from the flood, but presence in it. For the rescuers airlifting survivors, the families awaiting news, the villagers rebuilding from Chitwan's downstream wreckage—God walks beside them. He calls each by name, redeeming what the waters take. In Jesus Christ, this promise finds its fullest yes; the One who calmed the storm and wept at Lazarus's tomb now intercedes for every hurting soul.

Our compassionate Father doesn't leave us to grieve alone. As 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 assures, 'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.' This God, who comforted David in his valleys and Paul in his chains, pours comfort now into Nepal's broken places. Scientists warn of climate's role—melting permafrost, unstable mountains—but our hope rests not in human forecasts, but in the unchanging Rock.

Let this truth seep into your own day, dear reader. Perhaps your life holds no Himalayan flood, but rivers of worry, loss, or weariness flow through your weeks. A diagnosis unmet, a relationship strained, a quiet ache of unfulfilled longing—these are your waters. Remember: God is near, naming you His own through faith in Christ. Let His grace be your refuge today; whisper the psalms when fear roars. Reach out to comfort another, sharing the consolation you've received. Pray for Nepal's aid workers racing against the rising lake, for the 90 missing Americans and hundreds of foreigners—for Jolene and friends hoping beyond hope. In Jesus, we find mercy that outlasts any storm, drawing us into discipleship that weeps with the weeping yet looks to the dawn.

Rest here, friend. God's presence is your peace amid the roar.