When bad things happen to good people

          

           This has been a hard year, hasn’t it? Every time we turn on the news, there’s another tragedy, another disaster, another reason to despair. So much loss, so much pain all around us. Yet, in the midst of it all, we’ve seen heroes rise out of the ashes, we’ve met brave individuals willing to risk their own lives just to save a fellow human being; flickering candles in a world of darkness.

            So where is God in all of this? Has he forgotten us? I am currently reading through the book of Job. Now there’s a man who had every reason to ask “Why me?” Righteous, devout and unwavering in his faith, Job was the Valedictorian of virtuous living. Yet God allowed the devil to dump trial after trial on the poor man.

            Why? It would be wrong to state that Job accepted his fate without asking “Why? Why me?” In fact, he poured out his heart to God, arguing his cause before Him. He grieved in a very public way, never ashamed of his tears and his pain. He owned it, voicing his inner agony over the loss of his children and the intense physical pain he was enduring.

            This still begs the question; “Why?” Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? We may not receive all the answers here below. But when we reach heaven, we will see how all the pieces of our lives fit together to form a beautiful masterpiece. Even those dark, misshapen ones.

One truth we do know is that we are all born into a sinful world. The devil is at work, trying to trip up as many souls as he can before his time is up. He wants to leave his mark before he is thrown into the lake of fire. Could God stop the devil’s evil plans? Absolutely. Couldn’t he prevent all the suffering going on in this world? Of course, he could. But that is not his ultimate goal.

God has a plan for this world that we’re not privy to. We aren’t in on all the details of His will. Yet, as Christians, we can rest assured that no suffering is ever in vain. No pain is ever without purpose. Though unpleasant, suffering is a part of each person’s journey.

One day, when we wake up in heaven, we will receive the answers to our whys. The reasons for our trials will be as plain as the nose on our face, an unsurpassed “Aha!” moment. But until then, God reminds us He is in control. Nothing happens to us without His permission.

Never lose hope in God, even when the hard times come. Though our pain be great, God is greater. He will be with us through the storms of life, pouring out His love and His peace into our lives.

I don’t know your particular story, your pain or your loss. I don’t know why God allowed it. But one thing I do know is that He cares.