14 May, 2008
Another Disaster!
Death toll from China quake soars past 12,000
DUJIANGYAN, China (Reuters) - The number of dead in China's earthquake climbed past 12,000 on Tuesday with the toll expect to soar further after state media said nearly 19,000 people were buried under rubble in one city alone.
Rain hampered rescue efforts in the mountainous area around the epicenter of Monday's 7.9-magnitude quake that jolted the southwestern province of Sichuan, the country's worst earthquake in three decades.
State media reported scenes of devastation as rescuers gradually filed into villages near the epicenter in Wenchuan, a remote county cut off by landslides about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, Chengdu.
About 60,000 people were unaccounted for in Wenchuan, where 600 armed police were due to arrive before dawn on Wednesday.
"What we most need is medicine. There is no medicine, there are no doctors and after such a long time, no food," He said.
More than 12,000 people died in Sichuan and more than 26,000 were injured, Sichuan vice-governor Chengyun said.
A further 18,645 people were buried under debris in the city of Mianyang, Xinhua said, suggesting the death toll was likely to rise sharply.
Thousands were reported to be buried under factories, schools and other buildings elsewhere. Hundreds more have died in neighboring provinces.
photo & story courtesy news.yahoo.com, 5/13/08
Psalm 18:1-4
The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:
1 I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
4 The ropes of death entangled me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
Yesterday, I wrote about the tragedy in Myanmar and today it's China! Tornadoes have ripped through southern America and many were killed. What in the world is going on? These disasters are affecting millions of people either directly or indirectly. What will they do? What should we do? While we look for ways to respond, let's begin with a needed perspective from God's Word.
According to today's God's Story Scripture, what is the only way to experience hope during a crisis in life?
If you have ever read much of the Old Testament, you know that David faced one crisis after another in his life. He had enemies who wanted to kill him, struggles with serious sin, painful relationships, hurtful family members, sickness, sadness and much more.
But David understood God's protection. In today's passage he describes God's safety with five symbols. Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE notes explain David's characterization of God's care:
18:2,3 God is like (1) a rock that can't be moved by any who would harm us, (2) a fortress or place of safety where the enemy can't follow, (3) a shield that comes between us and harm, (4) strength of salvation, a symbol of might and power, (5) a stronghold high above our enemies.
You may not be affected directly by the disasters going on in the world right now, but you may be looking for hope in the middle of your own crisis. Call on the LORD for yourself.
Call on the Lord on behalf of those in China, Myanmar and in the sourthern part of the United States where the tornadoes have struck.
- Thank God that He cares more deeply for you than you can even understand. Let the LORD know what part of your life feels like a crisis right now. Call out to Him for safety by scrolling up to today's passage and use David's words as your prayer. Then do this again as you pray for those in crisis around the world.
- Every time you see images or hear stories in the news about the disasters going on in our world, pray for people to experience the hope that comes from God alone.
- Memorize Psalm 18:2 or write it out and place it where you will regularly see it. Use this to remind yourself to call upon the LORD for safety when you face a crisis in life.
- Put each of the 5 symbols of God's protection on post-its and place them on your computer or in one of your school books or in your organizer. During the next month, whenever you need God's protection, choose one of David's symbols and claim God's care through prayer.
- Talk to your youth leader or pastor to check on some practical ways you and your church might be able to send money or other kinds of help to the victims in the different disaster areas of America and the world.
- Use today's story to start conversations with those in your storysphere who need Jesus. Ask your friends or family members what they would do if they were to experience the kind of disaster we see in today's news. Trust Jesus to lead your conversation so that you can share what you learned from Psalm 18 to help you deal with tough times in your own life.
- July 2008 [17]
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