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You have until November 30th at 5:00pm Pacific time to get your name in for the drawing. What a great Christmas present this would be for someone.
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Why Does God Let Tragedy Happen?
Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25
I am drifting away from bumper stickers for a moment to share some thoughts/questions people have asked me. I have even asked other questions myself. It is very hard to see why so many people must be sacrificed, for no apparent reason. Why would God allow this to happen?
It seems like God has forsaken us sometimes when a tragedy happens. The major tragedy that happened in New York City, on September 11, 2001 makes us ask questions.
Terrorists hijacked four airplanes and attempted to crash them into important buildings. Three of the planes succeeded in crashing into the World Trade Center twin towers and the Pentagon building, killing over 3,000 people. The fourth one, because of the heroics of the passengers aboard, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all 38 aboard.
Why did God allow this kind of horrible event? Why would He let His children die? Why didn’t He stop the terrorists from carrying out such a horrific deed?
The answer isn’t simple, but we learn in the Bible that God gives us choices. He gives us the freedom to choose what we will be in life. He lets us rise up and be leaders that are admired by millions, but He also allows people the choice of evil. Satan is alive and well, trying to get mankind to choose evil. That is why there was Hitler, former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, and Stalin. God, in His love for us, gives us the choice of our path, and then we become accountable for our choices. Man had to be given a free will, because love is a choice and can only be possible where man is free to choose.
So, if sin can separate me from God, why doesn’t He separate me from sin? Because God chose. He chose to create the heavens and the earth. He chose to create oceans and the mountains, and He chose to create Adam and Eve. He created them in His own image and also gave them the right to choose, just like He does.
He is like a father or mother would be like on earth. Parents tell their children what is wrong and what is right. Then they watch over their offspring, hoping they make the right choices and never disobey. If children make a mistake, they have to face the consequences at a later time from their parents.
God didn’t make us to be robots. We each have our own decision-making process. We can accept God, or reject Him. We can obey God, or obey Satan. We can give up the things of the world, or we can become part of the world. God loves us so much He allows us freedom of choice. He loves us as we are, but He just doesn’t want us to stay that way.
It seems hard to accept death, even though it may be the death of a loved one. God loves us all, and He will comfort us through the hard times of losing someone, even though it hurts so badly.
Try to comprehend why God allows people like terrorist to be on this earth, and then make the right choices in your own life.
For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief,
he will also show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.
Lamentations 3:31–33
Further adventures
Be a help to those who are confused about why God allows things to happen in the world. Try to let them know of His love and how He allows us to make our own choices. This may help many people if you just do this one thing.
Something to ponder
Isn’t it funny how we forget God when everything is going well, but cry out to Him when we are hurting?
(Excerpt from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World. Chapter 8.)