Why do bad
things happen to good people? That is
one of the difficult questions in all of
theology. God is eternal, infinite,
omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent,
etc. Why should we 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?
Job
13:15 Though he slay me, yet
will I trust in him: but I will
maintain mine own ways before him.
Job
1:21 And said, Naked came I out
of my mother's womb, and naked shall I
return thither: the LORD gave, and the
LORD hath taken away; blessed be the
name of the LORD.
Job
didn't understand why God had allowed
the things He did, but he knew that God
was good and therefore continued to
trust in Him. Ultimately, that should be
our reaction as well. 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.
Pro
3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with
all thine heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy
ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy paths.
Perhaps a better question is, "Why
do good things happen to bad
people?" God is holy (Isaiah 6:3;
Revelation 4:8). Human beings are sinful
(Romans 3:23; 6:23). Do you want to know
how God views humanity?
Rom
3:10-18 As it is written, There
is none righteous, no, not one: There
is none that understandeth, there is
none that seeketh after God. They are
all gone out of the way, they are
together become unprofitable; there is
none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat [is]
an open sepulchre; with their tongues
they have used deceit; the poison of
asps [is]
under their lips: Whose mouth [is]
full of cursing and bitterness: Their
feet [are]
swift to shed blood: Destruction and
misery [are]
in their ways: And the way of peace
have they not known: 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 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.
Rom
5:8 But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
Despite
the evil, wicked, sinful nature of the
people of this world, God still loved
us. He loved us enough to die to take
the penalty for our sins (Romans 6:23).
All we have to do is believe in Jesus
Christ (John 3:16; Romans 10:9) in order
to be forgiven and promised a home in
heaven (Romans 8:1). What we deserve =
hell. What we are given = eternal life
in heaven if we would just believe. It
has been said, this world is the only
hell believers will ever experience, and
this world is the only heaven
unbelievers will ever experience.
The next time we ask the question,
"Why does God allow bad things to
happen to good people?", maybe we
should be asking, "Why does God
allow good things to happen to bad
people?"
Although we cannot know God's intentions
in the bigger scheme of things, by
allowing bad things to happen to us. We
can be sure that God, in some cases,
does allow bad things to happen to us in
order for us to lean on Him more. The
truth is, it is easy to forget about God
when things are going great. When all
the bills are paid, we have plenty of
food on the table, everyone in our
family is well, and we have a good
secure income; it is just too easy to
trust our circumstances to take care of
us (Duet. 32:15). But when any one of
those things that we previously had an
abundance of is taken away, it causes us
to call on the Lord for help. The words
of Agur express this truth:
Pro
30:8 Remove far from me vanity
and lies: give me neither poverty nor
riches; feed me with food convenient
for me:
Pro
30:9 Lest I be full, and deny [thee],
and say, Who [is]
the LORD? or lest I be poor, and
steal, and take the name of my God [in
vain].
Agur didn't want to be rich, because in
his wisdom he knew that if he were rich,
he would most likely deny God.
Likewise the Apostle Paul, who had
suffered tremendously at the hands of
those he was preaching to, was
shipwrecked, suffered poverty, hunger
and need said this:
Phi
4:11 Not that I speak in
respect of want: for I have learned,
in whatsoever state I am, [therewith]
to be content.
Phi
4:12 I know both how to be
abased, and I know how to abound:
every where and in all things I am
instructed both to be full and to be
hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need.
Phi
4:13 I can do all things
through Christ which strengtheneth me.
The Apostle Paul was basically saying,
"It really doesn't matter if I have
everything I think I need". He was
able to have this kind of attitude
because he realized first; that God
would meet all of his needs according to
what God considered necessary for the
Apostle Paul to have. Secondly, the
Apostle Paul realized that even if he
were to suffer need in the flesh, that
need would only serve to cause him to
lean all the more on Jesus Christ.
2Co
12:9 And he said unto me, My
grace is sufficient for thee: for my
strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather
glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co
12:10 Therefore I take pleasure
in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in
distresses for Christ's sake: for when
I am weak, then am I strong.
