Why God Allows Evil to Happen to People
Recently a pastor was shot and killed as he stood near the pulpit teaching the Word of God. Most of us have read about it. One of the members stated that hearing of it was shocking, but hearing that it was a pastor who was killed was even more shocking. Well, we understand that statement. I, of course, might feel the effects more than most. Maybe. Yet is brought to my mind that old saying that “death is the great equalizer.” Truly it is. No one is exempt in regards to timing. Read the papers and obituaries. Mothers, fathers, wives, husbands (young and old) are suddenly taken away. The rich, as quick as the poor, die unexpectedly. The other day the papers told of a president and his wife, I believe it was an African country, who were in an accident. The wife died. Celebrities names turn up regularly who died suddenly. Newscasters the same. The other day two professional football players were lost in the ocean. Of course, even children suffer the sudden hand of death. So none of us are given a guarantee. What, though, stands out more is the issue of why God allows this. And maybe the nature of a pastor teaching God’s Word makes it loom larger. It is the atheists big argument. If God were a God of love, He would not allow such events and sufferings. It makes no sense, they say. The answers are many though as to why God allows these things. More than allow, at times He orchestrates them. Why, then, does God allow such tragedies? Here is one of many reasons, but one that has helped me much through the years. The Bible states in Hosea concerning the Lord’s people that “in their affliction they will seek me.” The unvarnished facts are that such tragedies are often the very things (and it seems at times the only way) that bring many of us to our senses in areas of life that matter. Death or the prospect of death or even catastrophic events that leave lives marred often are the very things that wake us up. So much good comes out of the evil that happens to people. This is especially true of believers. The unbeliever may chide against the Lord. They may not only question God, but they may oppose God. They may speak of how they couldn’t serve a God who would allow such things. Of course, their life is full of evil coming from all quarters. And yet in their family circles they don’t abandon people or circumstances (some do, but many do not). Think of the woman recently who is debilitated for life due to the attack of an animal. I heard her brother respond to questions about his view of the owner of the animal. He told of how the daughter of this woman had responded marvelously. But let God allow something bad or at least let people be without an answer (so God is blamed) and the opposition and atheistic responses prevail. Not so in the believer’s life. Rather we believe our Heavenly Father knows best. And we believe all things work together for good. Now my point is they do work together for good. They are the very events, the evil that comes into our lives, which wake us up and get us right with God. They cause us to become serious. They cause us to start doing things that have been delayed for years, maybe for our whole life time. Brethren, much good will come out of this act of murder. We would rather it never happen, but be sure much good will come out of it. You say that is good, but what about the loss to the family? Yes, a great loss. He was married and had children, but he is with the Lord based on the testimony I read. So is he worse of? I think not. Are the family? Well, yes and no. Yes, they have a void and loss. Yes, of course, but even this loss will be overshadowed in their lives by how their hearts and lives can be turned towards the Lord and what really matters. So then realize that evil does happen to people. This is true of every day. But when responded to properly, we can find great solace, learning and peace knowing “He doeth all things well.” Fanny Crosby at six years of age was blinded due to faulty medical practices at the time. Yet at the end of her life she blesses God for her blindness, a blindness that strummed the chords of her poetic soul and gave the church an array of songs that grace our hearts to this day. Don’t be overcome by evil that happens suddenly and shockingly. Know that we cannot not tell love or hate by all that is before us, Solomon wrote. What we know is that the “steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord.” A fallen and rebellious world has been given leeway to follow the god of this world. With the ability to choose come the responsibility and consequences of those choices. We do not understand how all that works. And for every portion of evil we experience, think of all the consequences suffered due to our choices. Think of all the consequences man deserves that God fore goes due to His mercy and well as His long suffering. No, my brother, this is not a perplexing thing. This is not a surprise. This is the fruit of a fallen world. And let us be very happy that God has intervened to keep the evil under control, lest man should destroy himself completely. And let us learn from the evil that does befall us the lessons that we need for our lives that could come no other way. Yes, “it is God which worketh in you to both will and to do of His own good pleasure.”