Why God Says No

 
Last week’s essay on this subject brought up the ages old question; why do bad things happen to good people? Why do people get cancer? Why do wars happen? Keeping in mind that this question is very difficult to answer, I will try to help with some of my ideas.

1 - All of us have freewill. We are unique in the universe. We have distinct personalities that contribute to the overall miracle of creation. Because we are created in God's image we make our own decisions, forge our own path in the cosmos. If God controlled our decision making, we would be robots. We would not be unique, and thus could not contribute to God's glory. As a result of God's great gift of individual personalities, we make mistakes and even commit evil actions. God wisely does not stop us from doing this because that would take away our freedom, would take away our uniqueness.

2 - The accidents of time. The core of the earth is hot, molten, and contains a lot of metal. This creates the magnetosphere which protects us from solar radiation. If we did not have a magnetosphere, our planet would be as dead as Mars. The same forces which create this shield, also cause earthquakes and volcanoes. Every natural catastrophe has something beneficial as the cause. Even cancer comes from biological processes that make our lives possible. We are concerned for ourselves and our loved ones. But God is concerned for everyone, and for all time. The accidents of time benefit more than they harm.

3 - God knows what is best for us. We know about yesterday and today. But God knows what is in our future. And God has prepared a wonderful future for all of us. God knows that the temporary afflictions of this day, will be quickly forgotten as we join Him in the eternal future. Having faith in God's plan for us is the greatest gift God has given to us, and the greatest challenge we face. It is very easy to give up hope. But the old saying is true; it may be dark on Friday, but Sunday is coming!

Peace,
Pastor Bill