A reader recently wrote and
asked a question that many of us ask at one time or another:
"If there is a God, and if He is a good and loving God, why
does He allow sin and suffering?"
A simple answer is
that God gave each of us, from Adam and Eve, to the newest born
baby, the opportunity and responsibility to make and live with
the consequences. But there is a liability that came with this
freedom. Even though we can make a poor choice, God will not
interfere with our freedom to make it. Unfortunately we all live
with the choice that Adam and Eve made: it introduced sin into
the world and we have to live with their choice.
But it seems that
we all make decisions that are not in keeping with what is in our
best interests. Consider the case history of Israel. The psalmist
wrote, "My people would not listen to me; Israel would not
submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts."
Without choice
there could be no love or liberty, grace or goodness, caring or
compassion. We are free to choose what is right and righteous or
what is destructive and devastating. This is true of individuals
and nations alike. We have sin and suffering because of wrong
choices.
And why do we make
wrong choices? Again our psalmist has the answer: "If my
people would but listen to me...I would subdue their
enemies."
Whenever we walk
in our own ways, individually or as a nation, we will suffer from
our "enemies" - whatever would defeat or destroy us.
God allows us that choice.
Prayer: We pray, Father, that we will allow Your Word to speak to our hearts, guide our decisions and bring hope. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer: We pray, Father, that we will allow Your Word to speak to our hearts, guide our decisions and bring hope. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture for
Today: Psalm 81:11, 12 “But my people would not listen to me;
Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their
stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
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