(x)wisdom

The book of Job is the Bible's answer to the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Job, the man from Uz, is said to be blameless and then he's shown to suffer a great deal; loosing his children and wealth on one day and his health and dignity on the next. His friends hear of Job's fait and resolve together to be with Job and comfort him. As the friends approach Job it would seem that they are faced with the reality that the reports of Job's struggles failed to communicate the gravity of Job's situation.

The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. (Psalm 33:16-19)

Does God love everybody? Let us look to Genesis 20:1-7. God declares Himself personnal for a select group of people by saying to Moses, "your God." He declares Himself great by referring to some of His incredible activities recently witnessed by Moses, namely all of the events related to freeing Israel from Egyptian slavery. The main point of this passage is, "I the Lord your God am a jealous God..." Everything else that is said is related to this central point.

Does God cause or allow pain, calamity, destruction, and death? There are few questions as loaded as this one. Stated another way, does God allow evil to exist or does he cause it? Or, If God is loving and all-powerful why doesn't He stop all this evil and calamity in the world?

Any attempt to answer this question will be greatly influenced by a man's world view. Every man's world view will all but determine his answers to questions of origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. Questions like: How did I come to be? Where did I come from? Why do I exist? Why am I the way I am? How can I change the way I am? Do right and wrong exist? What is right and what is wrong? What is my destiny? What will happen in the end?

God loves to give peace that defies logic in the middle of catastrophes. (Philippians 4:7) Sometimes I just need to shut up and sit still long enough to remember that He is sovereign and His plans are not thwarted by men. (Psalm 46:10) My constant fight is to remember and rest on the fact that He is always doing exactly what makes Him the most happy and will achieve the most good for those who believe. (Jeremiah 29:11) He never does one at the expense of the other. My head knows this but my heart sometimes forgets. "I believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)