So i assume that most of you have heard the news, a missing little girl from Colorado has been found, she is no longer with us and I pray that God blesses her soul. I am writing here looking for answers, I am very disturbed about this happening, not just to this one girl but all of these cases similar to this. It deeply disturbs me how can God let this happen? Which one of us Christians has the resolve to go share the verse that God works all things for good to that mother? How could that have any meaning to her? Do you mean to tell me God will work that out for good? I love God and pray that justice is served i just really wonder how long will this go on. I cant question God, but it really seems we need the Savior to return soon. Anyway i will probably get a warning from the admins for my confusion and struggling questions again. They usually dock me if i ask questions to you all about God and look for reassurance that He is still alive and well in the world, because i dont see it now, how many other children will have to suffer until He decides to make things right?
Loosing faith in Christ.
- Thread starter kevin256
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amadeus2
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The reassurance a person has in this world is not usually on the outside, but on the inside of the person receiving God's reassurance. Jesus did not come to change the ways of the natural world. He came to provide Hope for something better. He came to provide Life where there was only death. Most people refuse to acknowledge that they are in death already. Remember that "Jesus wept"! He wept because He recognized that men were in a terrible place and very few would take hold of the abundant Life that He offered. Do the children suffer as a result? They always have.
The natural fate of the little girl you mention is terrible, but while we are "IN" this natural world, we will continue to hear about and to witness terrible things. Jesus wept because of this and so must we also weep when we see but are unable to change them all.
Only remember that your prayers and mine, if we are with God's help righteous and our prayers are fervent, will avail much. This means that some will have a Way where there was no way. This does not mean that ALL will have that Way, so we will continue to weep for many while we rejoice for few!
The natural fate of the little girl you mention is terrible, but while we are "IN" this natural world, we will continue to hear about and to witness terrible things. Jesus wept because of this and so must we also weep when we see but are unable to change them all.
Only remember that your prayers and mine, if we are with God's help righteous and our prayers are fervent, will avail much. This means that some will have a Way where there was no way. This does not mean that ALL will have that Way, so we will continue to weep for many while we rejoice for few!
Kevin, I have had similar doubts and questions, and have shared them in some places. I even had a shouting match with God. I literally told God off. I wrote an article, "Where Was God." However, I am coming out of that. While grappling with this for the last week, I have had some thoughts that might help you.
The Bible states in many places that God is almighty. Certainly creation shows his power. But, is God all-knowing? We know that God has foreknowledge of somethings. Predestination is based on God's foreknowledge. But, does God have foreknowledge of sin? I'm not so sure that can be supported by Scripture. Sometime ago I studied the nature of God. God is perfect, and he has perfect knowledge, and what happened to Jessica Ridgeway, and others. And the girls that get abused everyday in Africa, and throughout the world. This wickedness that goes on in this world is imperfect. Can a perfect mind foresee these things? I am not sure. And I don't know if that helps. I hope it does.
Whitestone
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Probably the best person that mom could go to would be a Christian woman who has lost her own daughter or son and let her explain how her faith saw her through that trial.
The World and all that inhabit it are God's creation.
God is not only absolutely in control of all events,
God knows all events from eternity, God's knowledge
and power is absolute. Mankind is limited within the
realm of creation, limited in the understanding of all things.
Man has a corrupt nature and profoundly limited ability to
influence and understand events let alone one's own actions
and thoughts.
Does God permit evil to occur, yes He does.
Does God restrain evil, yes.
No event may occur unless God permits it to occur.
Even your thought life is subject to God's control.
Does God love His creation and all that inhabit it,
yes. For God so loved the World that He sent His
very own Son to die for all humanity. God does
all things in all ways purely for your sake.
The underlying fact about God is that He is Love.
God's love is eternal and unconditional.
All that God does is just and correct, always with
the grandest intentions for His creatures. Doubt
arises through misunderstanding precisely who
God really is, and the methods that God has
employed to achieve His goal. God's goal
is the reconciliation of mankind to himself.
Also, you need to consider the eternal domain when
you attempt to understand all things. If a child
suffers and dies, God cares absolutely about this
child. God knew this little one from all eternity,
God attends to all people at all times in an eternal
manner.
You should not only trust Jesus implicitly but also
never rely on your own limited and temporal
understanding of any event. Our view is too limited,
selfish and corrupt.
God is not only absolutely in control of all events,
God knows all events from eternity, God's knowledge
and power is absolute. Mankind is limited within the
realm of creation, limited in the understanding of all things.
Man has a corrupt nature and profoundly limited ability to
influence and understand events let alone one's own actions
and thoughts.
Does God permit evil to occur, yes He does.
Does God restrain evil, yes.
No event may occur unless God permits it to occur.
Even your thought life is subject to God's control.
Does God love His creation and all that inhabit it,
yes. For God so loved the World that He sent His
very own Son to die for all humanity. God does
all things in all ways purely for your sake.
The underlying fact about God is that He is Love.
God's love is eternal and unconditional.
All that God does is just and correct, always with
the grandest intentions for His creatures. Doubt
arises through misunderstanding precisely who
God really is, and the methods that God has
employed to achieve His goal. God's goal
is the reconciliation of mankind to himself.
Also, you need to consider the eternal domain when
you attempt to understand all things. If a child
suffers and dies, God cares absolutely about this
child. God knew this little one from all eternity,
God attends to all people at all times in an eternal
manner.
You should not only trust Jesus implicitly but also
never rely on your own limited and temporal
understanding of any event. Our view is too limited,
selfish and corrupt.
Dovegiven
Active
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- Oct 13, 2012
- Messages
- 1,083
Kevin, I am convinced God hasn't taken back dominion over His creation, so all the blame for wickedness on earth yet rests among men who refuse to obey God. He gave it to Adam and Eve and is not on record as reversing that decision. Sure, God can and does intervene, but history supports much evidence that mankind has remained the main operator in charge. Whatever God has done will stand up under His own demands concerning justice and holiness. The acts of men alone will be subject to judgment of sin. For men to stand accountable for judgment must stand by the fact men do all the sinning, and allow sin in our midst. We know from the Bible what God sanctioned concerning punishment and deterrence of sin, and know many people of all generations have tended to ignore such dealings. Instead of having no tolerance of sin in our community the Church has come to the place of winking at sin, and often shows little or no difference in behavior among a world of lost people. We let murderers off the hook because we agree they are but victims of our society as much so as their victims.
We are becoming victims of our own severely deficient planet management. But had God not assigned creation to man, man could have and would have forever rightly blamed God for every sin and consequence. He is not "sovereign" like some claim, but is still in the process of working out man's dominion period, to be followed by a period of putting all things under Jesus' feet, concluded by Jesus serving all that up under God's feet. Hebrews chapter 2 is a good place to study that out, which supports 1 Cor. 15:24-28 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
[25] For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
[26] The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
[27] For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
[28] And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Notice that it remains a future event that the enemies of Christ will finally be put under His feet, then all things coming to rest under the Father's feet. Obviously neither Jesus nor the Father is exercising sovereignty, but allow men to rule themselves. Allowing men to have governments makes the concept of divine sovereignty impossible to occur. Instead of thinking that God sits by calmly allowing so much injustice to carry on, blame the society for not obeying God's word. When Jesus returns as promised, those thousand years of His rule over men on earth will surely be marked with an absolute intolerance of wickedness. The sad thing about it all is we, the Church, sitting it out while passing the blame on to God.
Jim
We are becoming victims of our own severely deficient planet management. But had God not assigned creation to man, man could have and would have forever rightly blamed God for every sin and consequence. He is not "sovereign" like some claim, but is still in the process of working out man's dominion period, to be followed by a period of putting all things under Jesus' feet, concluded by Jesus serving all that up under God's feet. Hebrews chapter 2 is a good place to study that out, which supports 1 Cor. 15:24-28 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
[25] For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
[26] The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
[27] For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
[28] And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Notice that it remains a future event that the enemies of Christ will finally be put under His feet, then all things coming to rest under the Father's feet. Obviously neither Jesus nor the Father is exercising sovereignty, but allow men to rule themselves. Allowing men to have governments makes the concept of divine sovereignty impossible to occur. Instead of thinking that God sits by calmly allowing so much injustice to carry on, blame the society for not obeying God's word. When Jesus returns as promised, those thousand years of His rule over men on earth will surely be marked with an absolute intolerance of wickedness. The sad thing about it all is we, the Church, sitting it out while passing the blame on to God.
Jim
I seriously try to convince myself that what yourself is true, but i cant, while God is busy dealing with our sin, a little girl suffered, and died. I just cant seem to have faith in a God who will stand by and let it happen, i saw a post about 25,000 kids dying of starvation a day, I and we expect God to answer our prayers? It makes me sick when i pray for Gods help to pass a test in school while thinking of all the children and people suffering in the world. Also i have started to think that all Gods talk about blind faith and having faith in the life to come is irrelevant, when i think of that little girl dying i wonder what fear she must have expierenced, did she call out to God? I dont know, i know alot of people did for her, but to no avail, I am sure God is out working things for good, just having that little girl pay the price for it though. Or how about all the children starving in africa? Apparently God gave up the whole feed and care for the poor ministry when he took the first flight back to heaven. What really aggrivates me is i cant possibly believe there is no God, in fact i know he is there, i am just really getting sick of playing on His team....
And second, its pretty messed up we have to pay for our "bad planet management" God let this mess out of the bag in the first place, he made lucifer and made a faulty creation that was bound to fail, and now he blames everything on us. I am sick of it, Get off the heavenly golfing green and help out, i am so sick and tired of seeing everything day by day going so wrong and the only thing i get from the bible is "have faith" or the tried and true, "works all things for good" Really explain to me how he is working it all out for good for the mother of that girl?
Well i cant anymore, all i have is this selfish, corrupt mind with a limited view. Ok everything is in Gods control, but why does suffering need to endlessly continue? You cant tell me that girl had it coming, or any other child? God to me doesnt care enough, i work as a social worker and see to much, its easy to come in here and talk big about Gods big understanding and suffering has a purpose but when you see the faces that are paying for it, and then tell them they are wicked, corrupt and have limited understanding? I am tired of all this " oh but God loves the little children" Yea right, not enough to save them.
amadeus2
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If this natural life and world are really transitory, are only a testing place, a proving ground for people, a place of preparation with no lasting reality, what is it that is holding onto you so strongly?
Yes I know the question: Can we be callous towards what we see as the pain and suffering of innocent children?
But, are we seeing the whole of matter? I think not.
As when Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened so he could really see who was on their side against the seemingly overwhelming numbers of the enemy before them, we must also be given eyes to see the whole picture as God sees it. Until we can, we are surely going to miss the Truth in our evaluation.
Jesus was not pleased with what He saw, but what was He able to do other than what He did? Nothing, for everything that He said and did were in accord with God's will... We may be unable to understand, but neither are we God nor have we been given a better answer which will fully satisfy our finite human intellect. We must get beyond that intellect and only with God's help can we ever do that.
Yes I know the question: Can we be callous towards what we see as the pain and suffering of innocent children?
But, are we seeing the whole of matter? I think not.
As when Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened so he could really see who was on their side against the seemingly overwhelming numbers of the enemy before them, we must also be given eyes to see the whole picture as God sees it. Until we can, we are surely going to miss the Truth in our evaluation.
Jesus was not pleased with what He saw, but what was He able to do other than what He did? Nothing, for everything that He said and did were in accord with God's will... We may be unable to understand, but neither are we God nor have we been given a better answer which will fully satisfy our finite human intellect. We must get beyond that intellect and only with God's help can we ever do that.
I dont know... I just wonder, how many little children will have to pay the price until God is ready to return, sure i know he will wipe away the tears but in the meantime? How can you ever justify that? You cant. If God walked in to my house and said, oh shes ok now, its all good. But does that justify whats been done? What does he expect from us!? We are on the verge of blowing ourselves up and its been 2,000 years and no reply!
So tell me, did that girl pass the test? if this is a proving ground? I need to get off this post these replys just anger me more, all this out my lack of wisdom and God is so high and mighty i am sick of it. I DONT CARE IF YOUR HIGH, MIGHTY AND HAVE A GOLDEN TOLIET! GET TAKING CARE OF KIDS HERE AND NOW!! YOU STARTED THIS MESS, CLEAN IT UP!!
amadeus2
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I have really tried to help you on this, but you are blaming God because you see a mess around you. You must go back to the following verse and take it to heart no matter how miserable and angry you may feel:
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb 11:6
As Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, the only sign they would receive in their state of unbelief was the sign of the prophet Jonah. They did not receive this as answer and you do not receive all that God is going to show you. Pray that God will have mercy on you. Until I am told otherwise, I will remember you in prayer.
Then we should give God the credit for everything whether good or bad. So God is guilty of murder. Come on, do you really believe that? And on top of that we must thank him. Have you thanked God for the kidnapping, molestation and dismemberment of Jessica Ridgeway yet? Are you going to? If you don't, then you don't really believe what you said above.
Whitestone
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(Ecc 9:11)
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
(Luk 13:2)
And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
(Luk 13:3)
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
(Luk 13:4)
Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
(Luk 13:5)
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Whoever doesn't like their mortality, God will receive into His Immortality if they turn to Him.
Whoever just wants to complain about it, will join all those who die by the natural time and chance consequences as the Bible describes in the above verses.
It is that simple
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
(Luk 13:2)
And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
(Luk 13:3)
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
(Luk 13:4)
Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
(Luk 13:5)
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Whoever doesn't like their mortality, God will receive into His Immortality if they turn to Him.
Whoever just wants to complain about it, will join all those who die by the natural time and chance consequences as the Bible describes in the above verses.
It is that simple
Kevin
You are angry at God under the assumption that He is to blame for all the evil that exists in the world.But that is a wrong assumption.We are to blame,not God.
We were created with free will and given control over the earth.In Eden,Adam relinquished that control to Satan by failing to obey God's word.The same thing that men,as a whole,continues to do today everytime men refuses to obey God.
And you are angry because it has been over 2.000 years and we are still waiting for Jesus to return.But how many people still haven't heard the Gospel because we,the Church,are not fulfilling our mission?How many is God waiting for to open the door to Him?
Who are we to say that He should just end it all and give up on those who are still sitting on the fence or those who haven't heard the Gospel?
Things are bad?
Yes they are.Because more and more people are,not only,turning away from God completely but also from the moral standards that we lived by.Things have been turned upside down,good is bad and bad is good.That is a sign of the end times.Make no mistake,Jesus is coming,and soon.
But until then people will continue to suffer at the hands of other people and that is not God's fault.Jesus suffered unimaginable pain on that cross to save us.He knows pain.And He suffers every time we do.He is not indifferent.
Matthew 24:12
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."
Do not let your love for God grow cold.Just talk to Him and He will show you how much He loves you and give you peace in the midst of all this turmoil.
We have all been there.
God bless you
You are angry at God under the assumption that He is to blame for all the evil that exists in the world.But that is a wrong assumption.We are to blame,not God.
We were created with free will and given control over the earth.In Eden,Adam relinquished that control to Satan by failing to obey God's word.The same thing that men,as a whole,continues to do today everytime men refuses to obey God.
And you are angry because it has been over 2.000 years and we are still waiting for Jesus to return.But how many people still haven't heard the Gospel because we,the Church,are not fulfilling our mission?How many is God waiting for to open the door to Him?
Who are we to say that He should just end it all and give up on those who are still sitting on the fence or those who haven't heard the Gospel?
Things are bad?
Yes they are.Because more and more people are,not only,turning away from God completely but also from the moral standards that we lived by.Things have been turned upside down,good is bad and bad is good.That is a sign of the end times.Make no mistake,Jesus is coming,and soon.
But until then people will continue to suffer at the hands of other people and that is not God's fault.Jesus suffered unimaginable pain on that cross to save us.He knows pain.And He suffers every time we do.He is not indifferent.
Matthew 24:12
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."
Do not let your love for God grow cold.Just talk to Him and He will show you how much He loves you and give you peace in the midst of all this turmoil.
We have all been there.
God bless you
Dovegiven
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I find safety in giving opinions based on the Word of God, from the Bible. I do understand from experience the futility of trying to figure it all out in my own thinking.
According to the Bible God (the Father God) has already dealt with the issue of sin. God is not busy dealing with that. If and when a Christian sins, Jesus acts as our defense attorney, and for those whose faith never waivers, never loses a case.
Next, God is not standing by letting bad things happen. God knows the Church has been given all that's needed to run this planet quite well.
God answers prayers. He answers mine, while knowing some terrible things, like you know, happen every day. While those 25,000 kids starve to death daily, 115,000 moms world-wide abort a baby daily. God is not aborting babies, or holding food back from children. Some folks hold an opinion that God does things like that, but the Bible reveals otherwise, so there remains a Bible-based opinion that speaks to the truth of who is at fault on earth.
When I attended high school and college I studied very hard to make sure I passed exams. That's one of the things I still won't pray about. I prepare for things I can prepare for, then pray about those things I can't prepare for.
I failed, again, to find any teaching in the Bible about "blind" faith. There is always a basis for having faith. I don't "have faith in the life to come". I have biblical reason to have abundant hope about that, hardly able to know what that's really going to be about.
As for God working out good always for bad situations, that has a limitation. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. That verse requires recipients of such good from bad to love God, and live obedient to God according to His plan for each person. I don't know how the girl's mom met that, nor how the folks praying about such things fit into that verse, and of course the whole context of scripture passage it is nested in. Taking it out of context is a sure way to feed great frustration if we fail to love God the way the Bible describes that, and don't walk the Jesus Way like Jesus taught.
Yes, many people starve in Africa, and probably in most nations for that matter. God is on record as feeding perhaps a million Hebrews in the exodus from Egypt, but those people came to resent that. By far the right approach is for people to distribute the world's abundant food to make sure none starve. But on CSPAN TV I recently listened to a UN expert explain how in the most ravished nations it is typical for bandits and corrupt government officials to intercept all convoys of food, then taken for sale on the black market. Not only that, but they demand money in the millions of dollars each time or threaten to kidnap the people trying to help. So it is those convoys have been supplied with ransom money, further attracting more bandits. It isn't that help isn't on the way. We can easily suppose that if God sent manna to the starving they would despise it sooner than the Hebrew people did, like often done when white bleached rice is delivered to people preferring unprocessed rice.
I spent years in my living room "helping" my Alma mater college team win a championship, but gave that up this year. I never really played on the field toward that anyway. I just rooted for them, not personally qualified or called to win football games. I do highly respect the people who did in fact get on those fields to play their hardest. As for being on God's team I don't find that to be a game, but a calling to work good works, making disciples of people, out of obedience and love for my Lord. Sometimes it seems all is lost, but I keep going, doing what God called me to do.
Jim
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Article from GotQuestions.org
**
"Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?"
Answer: This is one of the most difficult questions in all of theology. God is eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Why should human beings (not eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent) expect to be able to fully understand God’s ways? The book of Job deals with this issue. God had allowed Satan to do everything he wanted to Job except kill him. What was Job’s reaction? “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21). Job did not understand why God had allowed the things He did, but he knew God was good and therefore continued to trust in Him. Ultimately, that should be our reaction as well.
Why do bad things happen to good people? The biblical answer is there are no “good” people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and infected with sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Romans 3:10-18 could not be clearer about the non-existence of “good” people: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire.
A better question would be “Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people?”Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite the evil, wicked, sinful nature of the people of this world, God still loves us. He loved us enough to die to take the penalty for our sins (Romans 6:23). If we receive Jesus Christ as Savior (John 3:16; Romans 10:9), we will be forgiven and promised an eternal home in heaven (Romans 8:1). What we deserve is hell. What we are given is eternal life in heaven if we come to Christ in faith.
Yes, sometimes bad things happen to people who seem undeserving of them. But God allows things to happen for His reasons, whether or not we understand them. Above all, however, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. However, instead of doubting God's goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. ”Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Recommended Resource: Wrestling with God: How Can I Love a God I'm Not Sure I Trust? by James Denison.
Answer: This is one of the most difficult questions in all of theology. God is eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Why should human beings (not eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent) expect to be able to fully understand God’s ways? The book of Job deals with this issue. God had allowed Satan to do everything he wanted to Job except kill him. What was Job’s reaction? “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21). Job did not understand why God had allowed the things He did, but he knew God was good and therefore continued to trust in Him. Ultimately, that should be our reaction as well.
Why do bad things happen to good people? The biblical answer is there are no “good” people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and infected with sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Romans 3:10-18 could not be clearer about the non-existence of “good” people: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire.
A better question would be “Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people?”Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite the evil, wicked, sinful nature of the people of this world, God still loves us. He loved us enough to die to take the penalty for our sins (Romans 6:23). If we receive Jesus Christ as Savior (John 3:16; Romans 10:9), we will be forgiven and promised an eternal home in heaven (Romans 8:1). What we deserve is hell. What we are given is eternal life in heaven if we come to Christ in faith.
Yes, sometimes bad things happen to people who seem undeserving of them. But God allows things to happen for His reasons, whether or not we understand them. Above all, however, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. However, instead of doubting God's goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. ”Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Recommended Resource: Wrestling with God: How Can I Love a God I'm Not Sure I Trust? by James Denison.
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Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Brighthouse
Active
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2009
- Messages
- 1,567
Brother Kevin. You wish a direct answer?Rare,so rare I share this with anyone! But because I know there is great pain in your heart,and because i know how this has affected your faith in our Lord Jesus.I will answer this.I fought this for quite a while!! In Vietnam when ever I got close to someone they died,the first time it happened, I did not think to badly of it,but by the third time,I believed I was cursed! After receiving the Lord into my life 3 years after this happened,I still have never got close to anyone again. I kept my mother alive, by doing this I even believed.She is now 87, and the Lord told me, she would go home in the fall time.
Which fall I do not know. I have never married,because of this,I know I have nothing to do with anything!! It is a great weakness in faith I have for myself is all. The bible says in Deut 31:6 Be strong and courageous,until a certain time in our life,we have no idea what that means do we bro? We think we do!! Why brother many even believe they do,but until a moment such as Doubting Thomas had,we really do not understand do we? We do now. Through great sorrow in my own Spirit such as you may be having now, I cried,a most rare occurrence for me to ever do! For I was brought up that to cry one should always have a purpose other then self to do this.
Crying does not change anything,it just brings bad memories to the surface,memories we thought we have locked away. I am almost 59 years old now,the Lord has blessed my life greatly,he as bestowed upon me certain gifts for the Body of Christ,to which I am most thankful, and grateful for.Sometimes though a gift can be a burden to me.God knew something I did not,he knew how i would use his gifts to his Glory,even if they caused me pain in my body. Later on in my prayers, blessed Holy Spirit gave me something which brought me great comfort! Deut 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord. The secret is this. Those who die, our friends, those we care for,do not die ever in vain.( rev 14:13)
They are resting from there labors now. We do not always know why they have been taken,but we do know where they are now.( john 14:2-4) Now the Lord stands back a ways from us, and we are faced with having great courage.(1 sam 16:7and Jeremiah 17:10)Do we allow our feeling to replace our faith? Or do we continue in our faith? When i was a child and wanted some candy and was smacked, because I asked more then once,did I leave my earthly father,or did I learn he heard me the first time? Did I seek his will in receiving, or my own will? ( Acts 20:24-38)Please do read this slow,and take it all in.
I as all people have weakness in the body of Christ brother Kevin,I sure do not have any full answers either!( 1 cor 13:11-13) ( 2 Cor 12:8-10) verse 10 being content in my weakness. Because good brother,the truth which we do have,has set us free in it. We trust in God no matter what,we believe in Jesus no matter what.We wish to understand far more then we are capable of understanding. Our flesh just gets in the way sometime brother.We do not mean it! My hope,is that you now have a much better understanding of God's own love for you personal! A love you are not meant to keep inside,but share with others,who are in sorrow.Rom 8:28 comes into play,when we truly understand what believing means! Not blind belief!! But purposeful belief! May Jesus comfort you brother Kevin, and all who have gone through sorrow in there life. amen!
Which fall I do not know. I have never married,because of this,I know I have nothing to do with anything!! It is a great weakness in faith I have for myself is all. The bible says in Deut 31:6 Be strong and courageous,until a certain time in our life,we have no idea what that means do we bro? We think we do!! Why brother many even believe they do,but until a moment such as Doubting Thomas had,we really do not understand do we? We do now. Through great sorrow in my own Spirit such as you may be having now, I cried,a most rare occurrence for me to ever do! For I was brought up that to cry one should always have a purpose other then self to do this.
Crying does not change anything,it just brings bad memories to the surface,memories we thought we have locked away. I am almost 59 years old now,the Lord has blessed my life greatly,he as bestowed upon me certain gifts for the Body of Christ,to which I am most thankful, and grateful for.Sometimes though a gift can be a burden to me.God knew something I did not,he knew how i would use his gifts to his Glory,even if they caused me pain in my body. Later on in my prayers, blessed Holy Spirit gave me something which brought me great comfort! Deut 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord. The secret is this. Those who die, our friends, those we care for,do not die ever in vain.( rev 14:13)
They are resting from there labors now. We do not always know why they have been taken,but we do know where they are now.( john 14:2-4) Now the Lord stands back a ways from us, and we are faced with having great courage.(1 sam 16:7and Jeremiah 17:10)Do we allow our feeling to replace our faith? Or do we continue in our faith? When i was a child and wanted some candy and was smacked, because I asked more then once,did I leave my earthly father,or did I learn he heard me the first time? Did I seek his will in receiving, or my own will? ( Acts 20:24-38)Please do read this slow,and take it all in.
I as all people have weakness in the body of Christ brother Kevin,I sure do not have any full answers either!( 1 cor 13:11-13) ( 2 Cor 12:8-10) verse 10 being content in my weakness. Because good brother,the truth which we do have,has set us free in it. We trust in God no matter what,we believe in Jesus no matter what.We wish to understand far more then we are capable of understanding. Our flesh just gets in the way sometime brother.We do not mean it! My hope,is that you now have a much better understanding of God's own love for you personal! A love you are not meant to keep inside,but share with others,who are in sorrow.Rom 8:28 comes into play,when we truly understand what believing means! Not blind belief!! But purposeful belief! May Jesus comfort you brother Kevin, and all who have gone through sorrow in there life. amen!
With all due respect, Jesus said in Matthew 28.18, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth." Satan has no authority. Jesus has all authority.
