Why do earthquakes happen, cancers occur, wars start? I like the tune of Twila Paris' song, "God Is In Control," but I don't like the lyrics or what they seem to say. I have heard enough malarkey from well-intentioned people concerning my daughter's brain tumor, "It's meant to be," or the ubiquitous "Everything happens for a reason." Well the reason most junk happens in the world has nothing at all to do with God, except that God gets us through the stuff. God doesn't cause bad things to happen. Take a look at James 1: 13-17, "God doesn't test anyone...Every good and perfect gift is from above."
So why the earthquake - ever since the fiasco of the Fall this world's natural laws have run amok. Proof: Jesus was asleep below deck while with the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. They were afraid that the storm was going to drown them. They woke Jesus. He came up on deck and it says, "He REBUKED the winds and waves." If Jesus is God and if God controls nature and everything in it, then why would Jesus have to rebuke the storm. He only uses "rebuked" in the NT for evil anyway. The point is obvious to me. There are things not under God's control.
Bad things happen because of our choices; the choices of others, the general decay in the world because of the Falleness of Creation (the biggie); and evil - never God. So what does God do? God works miracles and that's the line I want to be in in heaven as I ponder theodicy. I want to ask God why did God intervene and heal my Dad and not my Mom. If we had taken a family vote it would have come out very differently, thank you very much. God redeems the junk caused by life. God (Romans 8:28) can work all things for good, but God doesn't cause them! There are so many variables, but God is constant love.
So, with earthquakes, Hurricane Katrina's, cancers, brain tumors, and the like - I'm going to trust God with the solutions, not blame God for the confusion. It's a huge difference to me!
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