5-19-19
Over the years I’ve discussed this question with many people. Some were Christians, some non-Christian. Some were Christians that were losing faith. From Genesis to Revelation, the Biblical authors toyed with this question. The Psalms delve into this often. There is no concrete scriptural algorithim to settle this question. Most are incredulous, experiencing disbelief that God may be the author of bad things. I point them to Isaiah 45:7 which tells us that the Lord forms the light and created darkness; He makes peace and creates evil /calamity. He is NOT the author of sin, but promotes good and bad/ allows the same. Heartbreaking events are disturbing. Why does a Good God allow evil things?
The Psalmist put forth, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” PS. 46:7 Yet, on the other hand, the psalmist writes the opposite, hence, good/evil-light/darkness play out in one’s life. One can be rich one day and face total deprivation the next…because of change. One can have the whole armour of God on (Eph. 6) and yet find cracks in it…to ones hurt, even death! One can have a happy family one year and a year later, all has turned against him or her. Instead of assistants in the work of God, family members can become assailants with vendettas to carry out. One can be doing the perfect will of God for years and then experience HELL ON EARTH!!!
Many “good” Psalms have been replayed and rehearsed and embraced repeatedly. Ps. 46 starts out with, “God is our refuge and strength, a well-proven help in trouble” v.1. But things change: God changes them, we change them, or the devil changes them. Verse 2,3 reveal catastrophic changes-a great storm (like the one we are all experiencing now!). We are in the midst of roaring, foaming waters, mountains of earth falling upon us as to smother out our very lives…tossed to and fro by legal demons that hate everything that looks, feels, smells, tastes like CHRISTIAN. Devastating financial crisis, physical sicknesses, prison terms, media blitz….swirling throes that threaten to break up marriages, families, friendships etc. It is tempting, real tempting to blame God (or ourselves). It is tempting to rationalize that the presence of “RA” (calamity) in Hebrew in Isaiah 45:7 means the Absence of God. We question Him over and over again – WHY??? He is with us in the fire and storm as well as in the still small voice.
As flowers bloom in the desert (like some parts of NM), when no water falls for great lengths of time, a little rain brings new life and color to what had been ugly and dry. Despite the ugly and dry spiritual terrain right now, we hope for the rain of God to come. We’re in a season of severe drought and no color is to be seen. But even storms bring water and water makes the flowers to bloom – COLOR WILL COME AGAIN TO US!
— Gen. Jim, POW