Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Why does God let bad things happen?

Why is it that you seem to have the best prayer times at 4am? I'm lying here awake with the presence of God so full and surrounding me and all I can do is pray. With tears tumbling down my face I thank Him for all the incredible blessings I have received in my life. I wonder anew at why I have been given much.




 While talking with a dear friend last night about different struggles and hardships we are facing she mentions "if everything was easy where would faith come in?" It makes me ponder: if I could provide for myself and ensure that life never handed me trials, what need would I have for God? Yet it's in the midst of these trials, painful times, temptations and struggles that God is able to show His awesome power and love. 


Does he wish for us to go through these times? No - absolutely not! Think of the life He created us for - life in Eden - life of joy, no pain, no suffering - life spent in perfect harmony with Him, experiencing nothing bad. This is what He desires for us. So why does a good God allow bad things to happen? Why is this world full of pain, suffering, terrorist attacks, murder? Because He loved us enough to give us a choice. 




Who would want a husband that had no choice but to love them? Is that true love? Who would want to know that the only reason your child loved you, wanted to spend time with you, wanted to thank you; the only reason they did these things is because you forced them? God didn't want robots - He wanted real relationships. He wanted His creation to desire to know Him and love Him by their own choice. Because of this choice, we are able to choose good or bad which has let sin into the world.


Bad things happen because people happen. 


Yet amongst all this, God is faithful. He cries when we cry, He hurts when we hurt, He desires to pull us away from all suffering and protect us as a child in the womb. This is not what He intended us for. He can take terrible situations such as the loss of our baby Jessie in the womb, and bring something good of it. We would never have built our house, gone to Cambodia, got nicks job, made the friends we have, if we had not lost Jessie. Did God want us to experience the pain of losing a child? No, but He is able to work all things to the good for those who love Him. He made good come of a terrible situation. 




Yes, amongst the many hardships and trials life presents us I still praise Him. I will thank Him for the financial struggles, sickness, and pain because although I know He doesn't desire me to face them, I know He is a faithful God and will see me through these times. He desires to have real relationship with us. He created us with a plan and purpose for our lives and loves us more than we can fathom. However because of sin - our choice to do bad things - we are separated from Him and can not know Him intimately as He desires. Yet He didn't leave things this way - He sent His Son to take the punishment of our sins / wrong doings. We are able to know Him deeply because when we accept what Jesus has done for us - we receive His clean and pure life in place of ours. It is not enough just to know this - He has given it as a gift. We need to receive it. 


He will not force Himself on us - it's our choice. So what will you do with it? 




You have to make a decision one way or another - it is impossible to sit on the fence. Either you accept what God has done for you and live your life knowing His amazing presence and having a real true relationship with Him, or you turn away from Him and are forever separated - yes hell is a real place. Ask Him into your life, He desires to know you. Speak to Him - just as you would do to a friend - this is called prayer. Say something like this: 

God thank you for sending Jesus to take the punishment for all the things I've done wrong. I'm sorry for what I've done and ask you to forgive me. Please come into my life and show me you are real. I want to know you in a real way. Amen (another word meaning "I agree"). 

If you have decided to do this - please contact me and I would love to hear from you and help you find out what is next - what now?










No comments:

Post a Comment