Are the Los Angeles Wildfires a Sign of God’s Judgment?
Six California fires have devastated Los Angeles. As of this writing, two of those fires are mostly contained, but four more continue to cause destruction. More than 12,000 homes and numerous businesses have been burned. So far, over 40,000 acres have burned, with multiple blazes still raging.
The stories coming from the area are heartbreaking, and the photos are startling. To be frank, it looks like hell. Which, unsurprisingly, has caused many to make connections to God’s judgment. To many conservative Christians, the state of California and places like Los Angeles are known as the paradigm of ungodliness. But is that true? Are these fires in L.A. an expression of God’s judgment?
People on social media have quickly proclaimed this as evidence of God’s displeasure and judgment. Others, like Franklin Graham, have said it’s not God’s judgment. How should we think about these things?
What Does the Bible Say about Judgment and Disasters?
The pages of Scripture are filled with disasters. We’re not even ten chapters into this almost 1200-chapter book when God floods the entire world (Genesis 6:5-7) as a direct response to humanity’s widespread wickedness. After saying he’d never destroy the world in that fashion again, by Genesis 19, we see Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire and brimstone. This, as a side note, was also trending on social media a couple of days ago because of people tying these fires to stories of God’s judgment.
It's clear, then, that God does use natural disasters as signs of judgment. But it should be noted that in each instance, there are clear warnings and calls to repentance. They are always accompanied by divine revelation and there is no doubt as to their intent. Burning up a place and saying, “I hope that got your attention,” isn’t the modus operandi of the God of the Universe. He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Without warning or communication, an event like these wildfires as judgment would seem to go against how the Scripture speaks of God judging humanity through natural disasters.
But there is another sense in which all disasters and the brokenness of creation are a consequence of our sin. It was judgment that booted humanity out of the Garden of Eden and here where the wild things are. There aren’t wildfires in Eden. This means, at least in some sense, we can say that this is a consequence of our sin and God’s judgment upon that sin. This way of thinking is the background for Jesus’ words in Luke 13:5. Here, a massacre by Pilate and the collapse of a Tower lead Jesus to say, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” He doesn’t tie the disaster directly to God’s judgment but points to a universal need for repentance. If the wildfire is judgment—it’s a judgment upon all of us and not only those who are in L.A.
The Scripture also assures us that God’s ultimate purpose in allowing disasters isn’t to destroy but to redeem. In all of these stories of judgment and destruction, there is always a call to repentance and a promise of grace. Disasters should lead us back to God. They are a reminder that our world is broken and we need redemption. They propel us to long for the hope of the new creation (Revelation 21:4).
It's because of this over-arching story of the Bible that I’m hesitant to give a specific answer to whether these wildfires are God’s judgment. We should be cautious in assuming or even dismissing them as God’s judgment.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Kara Capaldo
Why We Should Be Cautious about Assuming (or Dismissing) God’s Judgment
I imagine a reporter thousands of years ago interviewing one of Job’s friends. Perhaps he was commissioned to write an article to give his opinion on Job’s misfortune. To be honest, the whole thing feels a little icky. I don’t smell the smoke from the fires. I am not directly impacted. For that reason, it feels a little too detached to give my opinions on what God is or is not doing in the L.A. fires.
I am cautious, then, that I not be like Job’s friends. They were miserable counselors. They tied together a few strands in their theology and jumped to a conclusion about Job. They believed that bad things didn’t happen to good people, but bad things were clearly happening to Job. Their only recourse, then, was to assume that Job must have been doing something wrong. But they were foolish, and God rebuked them.
Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. For that reason, unless God has clearly revealed something, I’m going to be very hesitant proclaiming a “thus says the Lord” over a natural disaster. But that goes both ways. I also don’t have the confidence to say it absolutely is not God’s judgment. In Amos’ time, several disasters hit Israel. They were designed to lead the people to repentance—but they quickly dismissed them. I don’t want to err on that end, either.
As unsatisfactory as it may sound, my answer to the question at hand is simply “maybe.” I lean towards saying that it isn’t because, typically, God will give warnings and communication. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’d be shocked if it was a pointed judgment. But that doesn’t mean that I believe God isn’t communicating through these fires. Nor is it saying that in no way can we speak of these things as judgment.
But what we need to be very cautious about is not heeding the counsel of Luke 13. Jesus drew attention back to our own hearts. If you’re looking down your nose at those in L.A. but not taking a look at your own soul, I don’t believe you’re thinking about this biblically. You’re not responding to disaster as a believer ought to respond.
How Should Christians Respond to Disasters Like This?
When faced with disasters like the L.A. wildfires, Christians are called to respond with compassion. Alongside this compassion, we are called to point to Christ as the hope and answer for all that besets us outside of Eden.
Galatians 6:2 calls us to bear one another’s burdens. We should not look upon these fires with glee or celebrate that godless people are receiving their comeuppance. That’s foolishness. Rather we should bear their burdens and seek to love our hurting neighbors. That’s our first response.
Let’s just think for a moment about the purpose of a question like the one proposed in this article. What good does it serve? Let’s say that we come to the conclusion that it’s absolutely not a sign of God’s judgment. Well, that’s a good thing. But is there still not a call for us to repent and turn to Christ? Are we willing to say that God isn’t doing anything in a disaster like this? Surely not. We want to see even something as devasting as this be used for our good and the furtherance of God’s kingdom. Do I have to declare unequivocally that it is or is not judgment in order to love people and point them to Jesus? No.
What I like to say when we tackle sticky questions like this is that it’s a bit like a sumo-wrestler river-dancing on thin ice. He might get in a few sweet moves, but eventually, he’s going to make a big splash, and all those in close proximity will be miserable because of it, especially him. The only reason why our sumo-wrestler would venture out onto thin ice to do something so foolhardy is to show off or entertain. And neither of those are needed at a time like this. It’s far better to speak powerfully about what we do know (Christ and Him crucified) and love wholeheartedly the person in front of us.
Disasters are an opportunity to point to the hope we have in Christ. While the world groans under the weight of the curse (Romans 8:20-22), we can offer the solution. We do not have to respond in despair or judgment, but rather, we are positioned to give practical love and care while we share the love of Christ.
I don’t know all the details of why these wildfires are raging. But I do know this: God is able to restore the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25), which means He can bring beauty out of these ashes. Let’s focus our attention on participating in His work of redemption.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/David McNew/Stringer
Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.
Originally published January 14, 2025.
