Question:
Answer:
1. If you read the book of Job, you will find a righteous man, totally surrendered to God, who suffers the loss of all 10 of his children, as well as all his possessions. This all happens on one day. For many chapters of the book, Job asks God to tell him why this happened. God never tells him, but basically shows him that there are things that are outside of the human understanding, which we do not understand at the moment. Only much later here on earth may we get a glimpse of why certain things were allowed to happen to us, or maybe only in heaven. So, yes you can ask God, but very seldom do we get satisfactory answers, and we have to accept by faith that what happens to us, can be turned to good by God.
1 Peter 4: 12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
2 Corinthians 1: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Romans 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
2. As human beings we find it very difficult to accept that bad things happen to good people. Firstly, everyone has to die, which means that all of us at some point in our lives will suffer the agony of the loss of our loved ones. God did not plan it that way in the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, but because of the entrance of sin, this is a fact of life.
We also usually look for a reason for every little thing that happens in our lives, and either blame God or ourselves. Sometimes of course we do cause certain problems in our lives, but to ascribe to God the trait of punishing us for not praying enough, is to see His character in a totally incorrect way. God is love. This comes out in the Bible over and over again. And just as He did with Adam and Eve, He gives each of us the power of choice. And because He is love, He does not zap us each time we happen to make the wrong choice.
1 John 4: 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Joshua 24: 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The above verse not only shows the extent of God’s love for us, but shows that we are given the free choice, either eternal life or eternal death, the choice is ours. Please don’t believe that God will punish you for neglecting Him. If you still have doubts about His love, read the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), which is a parable of God’s love for each of us, even when we run away from Him. When we realise the extent of His love for us, we can’t help but loving Him in return.
