When Bad Things Happen to Good People


I heard a story Tuesday that made me very sad.

It was of a woman named Sandy who was part of the choir at our church.  One week ago tonight she was performing Silent Night with the rest of the choir as the audience watched Mary, Joseph and Jesus at the manger.  Suddenly, the flame from a misplaced candle caught her costume on fire.

There on stage, with 3,000 people in the audience and her mother also in the choir watching, flames flickered and then caught, and the Silent Night was marked with screams.

Fortunately, some quick thinking folks were able to put the fire out - however not before Sandy received 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 30% of her lower body.

Then yesterday, I learned that a friend and former co-worker, one of the nicest men you'd ever meet, had a heart attack in his car resulting in a crash, which left him dead.  He is young, and has a wife.  It is a sad tale that will probably mar his family's Christmases going forward.

And finally, my son's Godmother called last night to let me know that one of her family members had recently been murdered.  The woman was a seventy-something year old who often gave time, talents, and support to Christian causes.  And while it has not been confirmed, the police are looking to the lady's adopted daughter and her boyfriend for answers...

The sad part of this is when bad things happen to good people, it is often a reason for people to question God, or even to pull away from Him.

I don't think God causes bad things to happen.  However, I DO believe that He allows them to happen with the hope that in their pain, despair and frustration, people will turn to Him for refuge and hope.

The book of Job deals with this paradox. Job was a righteous man yet he suffered greatly.  God allowed Satan to do everything he wanted to Job except kill him, and Satan unleashed all sorts of hell on the poor man.  But in Job 13:15 we hear Job say, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him" and "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised" - Job 1:21

Job knew the character of God.  He knew that God was good.  And so he continued to trust even when things looked very bleak.

Easier said than done...

My husband's uncle once challenged him saying, "Jamie, you can't tell me there is a God when I see things like a four year old girl being raped and murdered."

Jim's says he felt the Holy Spirit lead him to his response, which was - "Uncle Jake if I believed that this world was all there was, you'd be right.  But I know that there is a heaven, and right now I I believe that little girl is in the arms of Jesus. It is where she will spend her eternity."

The Bible shows us bad things happen to good people.  JESUS is the best example....

But whether or not we understand God's reasons for allowing such things to happen, we must remember that He is good, just, loving and merciful, and our reward for trusting in Him is an eternity with Him in heaven.

Today I will pray for Sandy, her family, the family of my co-worker Mike and the family of the woman who was murdered.  I will ask that God touch their hearts and reassure them that He knows them, He sees their grief, and He loves them.

"Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." - 1 Timothy 6:12




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