The news media is filled with articles about murder and mayhem! Not just bad stuff, but stuff so evil that it makes your blood chill! How can this be? How can a loving God allow people to do horrible things?
What about the promises in the scripture about protection and sanctuary? If we can’t rely on God’s protection in this onslaught of evil, what hope do we have?
The common response, “bad things happen to good people” (Matthew 5:45) can leave a mental anguish and fear that can be debilitating. We want more than trite answers for those times when evil seems to mow down the righteous without rhyme or reason. Why DOES God LET bad things happen?
We all have the God-given freedom to make life choices. God does not make us serve Him nor does He make us behave. We don’t question our right to make unwise choices, why should we be amazed when evil people use that same freedom?
Although terrible things can and do happen to Christians, we can recover! Even in disaster we have a choice; to run away from God or TO Him. Satan delights in the times our pain leaves us foundering, crying ‘why?’. Satan will even do everything imaginable to magnify our suffering.
God’s heart is broken when we, saint and sinner alike, use our free will to seek the world rather than seek Him. God gave His son to give us the freedom of choice that we enjoy. Every day, we make the individual choice of faithfulness to God or rebellion against God. Choice, it’s a “ME” thing.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
The Holy Bible, New International Version®. Pradis CD-ROM:Gal 5:13. Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation, © 1973, 1978, 1984.