As of this writing, at 9:42 p.m., on Sunday, July 6, 2025, reports are that 79 people in Texas have lost their lives due to severe flooding, 68 of the deceased, many of them young girls, being from and around the Camp Mystic area near Kerrville.
It is the classic tragedy or catastrophe that has shocked the nation and left many scratching their heads wondering why.
Was it caused by poor management? Was it the National Weather Service being underfunded? Was it “climate change”? Was it God’s inability to prevent it?
The list of questions could go on forever and none of them would provide an answer that would change a thing.
What I will say, though, is that this not unlike other tragedies and catastrophes that have taken multiple lives almost in an instant, and it will not be the last tragedy or catastrophe that will occur and do the same thing, perhaps in another part of the world, and that regardless of how hard mankind tries to take precautions to prevent it.
Why? Because ever since the fall of mankind into sin, way back in the Garden of Eden, it has been under its curse, and only but for the grace of God, have these types of heart-breaking events not happened every minute of every day of every year.
That is just how severe the introduction of sin into the world was, even though a vast majority of people, both Christian and non-Christian treat sin like it is no big deal, if it exists at all.
Sin messed up everything, though, and only by God’s grace is his judgment against sin curtailed.
Grace is the only means by which anyone is spared the ultimate death sentence: separation from God for eternity.
Of course, understanding that will have little effect on most people, because most people are dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1), their minds are geared toward hating God (Rom. 5:10), as well as anyone who would dare to proclaim God’s truth to them about anything, good, bad, or indifferent (Jn. 15:18-ff.).
But, it is true, nonetheless.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that anyone at Camp Mystic or in the City of Kerrville did something so egregious that they invited God’s retribution via a major flood.
I am saying that sin’s presence in the world is everywhere, which means that God’s judgment, as mysterious and seemingly capricious as it is, could be passed at any moment, and that beyond the fallen human psyche to comprehend it.
For those whom God has chosen to at least partially understand the mystery of his ways, there is great comfort in knowing that even despite the tragedies and judgments, there is hope.
Because tragedies, catastrophes, death and mayhem are all very temporal, even though they may seem to be eternal while a person is going through them.
At the end of the day, though, there is goodness that comes out of them all, because God has planned it that way, even though only a few will enjoy it.
The apostle Paul wrote, after discussing his own struggles in dealing with the sin that it was still a part of his life, even though he had been called to be God’s spokesman, which Paul claimed he was the least of all the apostles.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
What happened in Kerrville, Texas and Camp Mystic early Friday morning, as the flood waters came rushing down the Guadalupe River and washed away men, women, children, plants and animals to their deaths, was by God’s design.
Nothing escaped his attention and he was in full control over the storms that raged and the lives they took, just like he has been in full control of other storms and lives in ages past, and will be in the ages to come.
For those who know God, and are prepared to meet him one day, the tragedy or catastrophe is a blip in history that leads into the presence of God, where there are no more tragedies, catastrophes, and mayhem due to the effects of the fall.
For those not ready to meet God, and He does not know them in a salvific way, they no longer have to put up with knowing that God is eating at their consciences, as they desperately attempt to block him out of everything they think, say, or do (Romans 1:18-23).
To them, they find that to be a “good” thing in a tragically warped sort of way, even to the point where some of them think they will be partying with their friends in hell, while mocking God and enjoying it.
How sadly mistaken they are soon to find out.
Again, I doubt that this short piece will bring much comfort or solace for those who are grieving over their lost daughters, friends, and colleagues.
Extreme human emotions are completely normal and tend to get in the way of rational thought during times like these.
“How could an all-loving God do such a thing to me?” “If that’s the God you worship, I don’t want any part of it!” “Your ‘god’ is Satan!”
My prayer, therefore, is that amid the tragedy and catastrophe that took place near Kerrville, Texas just a few days ago, and the emotively driven irrationality that follows in many cases, may peace with God that surpasses understanding prevail in the lives of those whom God calls his own; and may there be many of them!
That broken hearts would be mended in a godly way, whereby at the ends of the lives of those left behind after this tragedy, they can look back and forward with a godly appreciation that regardless of all the evil in the world inspired by sin’s affect upon it, God is still in perfect control of all times, events, and situations with the promise that they will all turn out for the good, for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.
Lord God Almighty, please help those whom you have called to mature in that respect until your purpose for their lives is fulfilled.
In Jesus name, Amen.
