Saturday, August 29, 2026From the news

Refuge in the Roaring Waters: God's Presence with the Waiting Families

In the midst of Nepal's devastating floods leaving Australian families in anguished hope, Psalm 46 reminds us that God is our unshakable refuge and strength, ever-present in trouble.

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. ... He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.' The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11

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.

Isaiah 43:2

Dear friend, as I sit with this heartbreaking news from Nepal, my heart aches for the families holding their breath. Devastating floods along the Nepal-Tibet border have swept away homes, roads, and lives, leaving over 1,900 people missing, including dozens of Australians on pilgrimages and treks. Among them is Karan Bhardwaj, a 40-year-old Brisbane dad and Royal Australian Air Force member, so desperately loved by his family. They're praying fiercely for his safe return. Then there's Shylaja Muralitharan and her family—husband Chandrasekaran, and their young sons Ashwin, 14, and Aarush, 11—from Sydney, last contacted just before the waters roared down during their journey toward Mount Kailash. Families like Vaishnavi's speak of worry mingled with hope, clinging to the possibility of rescue amid the uncertainty. Others, like Sumi Adhikari, Bharat Mangwani, Suhasini Kandimalla, Narayan Panthi, and the Balakrishnans and Iyers, are unaccounted for, their loved ones scattered across Australia, India, and Nepal, seeking any word. One woman reached her family alive, a glimmer in the darkness, but the toll—584 confirmed dead—casts a long shadow. These are real people, with children waiting for parents, siblings for brothers, communities for their own. The pain of not knowing, of staring at silent phones and empty skies, is a heavy burden we can almost feel.

In moments like these, when the earth seems to give way and waters roar with terrifying power, we turn to the unchanging Word of God. Listen to Psalm 46: '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, beloved—the psalmist writes of exactly this: floods raging, ground shaking, chaos everywhere. Yet God is our refuge, a safe place to run, our strength when knees buckle. He is ever-present, not distant in heaven, but help in trouble right now. And then the tender command: 'Be still, and know that I am God.' In the waiting, in the praying, let us be still. Let the families of Karan, Ashwin, Aarush, and all the missing be still in His care. The Lord Almighty is with us; He is their fortress.

Echoing this promise is Isaiah 43:2: 'When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.' God doesn't promise no floods—life's storms come—but He vows His presence. These words were spoken to Israel in exile, facing their own overwhelming trials, yet God says, 'I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine' (v.1). For Karan on his journey, for the Muralitharan boys trekking with dreams ahead, for every soul in the flood's path, God is near. He who calmed the Galilee with a word holds back the ultimate sweep of destruction for His children.

Perhaps you're not in Nepal, but you've known your own floods—loss, uncertainty, nights of desperate prayer. Take heart today: the same God who is refuge for these families is yours through faith in Jesus Christ. In Him, grace abounds, turning even tragedy toward hope. The cross shows God's willingness to enter our deepest waters, bearing our pain so we might live. As we pray for the missing, let this truth sink in: Scripture calls us to trust, to cast anxieties on Him because He cares (1 Peter 5:7). Join the families in their hope; believe God can bring the lost home, restore the broken, and reveal His glory even here.

Practically, dear one, let this shape your day. Pause amid your tasks—be still for five minutes, read Psalm 46 aloud, name your floods to the Lord. Reach out to someone waiting in their storm with a gentle word or prayer. Support relief efforts if you can, but above all, rest in Jesus, the one who says, 'Come to me, all you who are weary' (Matthew 11:28). God's mercy is new this morning; His steadfast love never ceases. For the families, for you, for me—He is with us in the waters.