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by Joshua Andrew Canada (Leadership Training School Student)

 

Job 42:2 I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted.


“How can a good God let bad things happen?” This question haunts every Christian at some point in our individual journeys. The arrogant fool sees this question and says that it is a logical fallacy. Either God exists and He is not good because He let’s bad things happen, or bad things happen because there is no God. These answers are lazy and put the Christian in the position of authority instead of the humble position of learning. As it says in Romans 9:20-21a “But who are you to talk back to God? Will the pottery say to the Potter, “Why did You make me like this”? Or has the potter no right over the clay.”

When life goes the way of 2020 God does not cease to exist or be good because our perception of what we deserve does not match up with the hand we are dealt that year. I can not answer the question of “How can a good God let bad things happen?” There are only three things I know to be true.

One: God exists. I have felt His presence on Sunday morning, seen the precision of His brush strokes paint the Colorado skyline with the colors of a rising sun, and I have let Him change my life from the inside out.

Two: Bad things happen. You remember last year?

Three: He is still good. I can’t prove this last point for you. That is between you and God. I will just say that in my experience people do not meet obstacles they can not overcome, and you will have enough to make it through whatever you are going through.


Maybe all this is easy for me to say. I don’t know you. I don’t know your life. Maybe things are far beyond my comprehension of how bad things have gone for you, and your only logical reaction is to look to heaven and scream “WHY?”. All I would say is, do it. Ask why. Be angry. David certainly was in Psalm 130. It's ok to be angry and have questions, that means you have a relationship! After all that screaming and crying and working things out with God, stand up, brush off the ashes and change out of your sackcloth, because that’s what God made you to do. God made you a strong person, are you acting like it?


Dear Heavenly Father, I admit I don’t always understand why You do what you do. Or why You let bad things happen, but I do know that You love me. I pray that I step further and Further to Your love every day.