Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Good People?

Why Does God Allow

Bad Things to Happen to Good People?

Could the crime rate

be related to hearing?

If Cain was listening,

he would not

have killed his brother.

Is anybody listening?

 

This question is asked by each one of us

 at one time or another.

Many years ago,

I had the privilege of pastoring a wonderful family.

They were our friends

and part of a small group

that met in our home.

Their children are now grown up.

Their oldest son married and had 3 small children

and wanted to serve God

on the mission field after seminary.

He took a job with

the Fort Myers Police Department (Florida),

with the idea that in a few years

they would have enough support

to serve God as missionaries.

One night in July, 2008,

he was called to a disturbance.

As Officer Widman approached the scene,

he was shot in the face and died.

The killer got into a gun battle

with other police officers

and was killed, also.

Officer Andy Widman,

30 years old,

left behind a wife

and 3 young children.

Why didn’t God stop this tragedy?

As we read about Abel,

a man who offered a pleasing sacrifice to God,

 is murdered by his brother.

Why didn’t God stop Cain?

The answer is

God did try to stop Cain.

God warned Cain

but Cain did not listen.

Could it be…

that crime could be avoided

if we only would listen to God.

Could it…

be that the increase of crime

is related to our silencing God.

When we removed the Ten Commandments

and the mention of God from public places,

we removed warning signs.

Could it be…

God does not force us to listen to Him

and He does not forcibly stop us?

If this is true,

we are in a lot of trouble

if we don’t listen to God

and encourage others to do the same.

We cannot avoid tragedies,

if we do not listen to God.

It is not God’s fault

when we won’t listen.

It is our responsibility.

Scripture Reading

Genesis 4:6-16 NIV

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right,

sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field."

And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen!

Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground,

which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.

You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.

14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence;

I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."

15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain,

he will suffer vengeance seven times over."

Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

16 So Cain went out from the LORD's presence

and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.