How could a good God allow…

 

Fill in the blank.  The question hangs in the air.  I have an elderly aunt who will soon pass from this life who refuses to consider her need of reconciliation with God.  Her standard line is “If there is a God, how could He allow little children to suffer?  How could He allow tsunamis, famine, hurricanes?  If THAT’S the kind of God He is I want nothing to do with Him.”

 

I have actually heard variations of this theme from lots of people.  The enemy of our souls is not very creative, he finds a few lines and uses them over and over.  What my aunt fails to see is that she is actually saying that she is wiser than God Almighty.  She is also saying that she is more merciful than God because she would never allow suffering.  She fails to see the arrogance of her stand.  She believes she is right.  She has judged God and found Him to be guilty of unacceptable behavior. 

 

We have all questioned God at times, wondering why He allowed something to happen but to totally reject Him because of our limited understanding is a very dangerous thing.  It is much like the willful two year old who defiantly stomps his foot and refuses to obey.  There is no winning that battle.  A loving parent will never tolerate outright defiance.

 

So, there really is no way to reason with a defiant two year old.  They are being willfully independent and do not want to consider anything else.  My aunt has fully embraced the lie for so many years that a lot of pride hangs in the way now.  How can she change her mind, bend the knee and in humility submit to this same God that she has judged and rejected as insufficient? 

I was reading Amos last week and I am always so struck by chapter 4.  It is a good picture of why God allows and even sends suffering upon us.  He wants us to turn to Him, to come back to Him, to repent of our independent ways.  It isn’t complex.

 

God is speaking and says

I gave you empty stomachs, lack of bread  Yet you have not returned to Me,  So, I withheld the rain from you… well running out of food might be my own fault and I should just try harder to earn some money but withholding the rain?  That is clearly is in God’s court.

God even says that He timed it and orchestrated which communities the rain fell on and when

 “ While there were still three months until harvest.  Then I would send rain on one city  And on another city I would not send rain;  One part would be rained on,  While the part not rained on would dry up.   "So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water,  But would not be satisfied;  Yet you have not returned to Me,"

So if withholding crucially needed rain isn’t enough God sends a scorching wind and mildew;

and caterpillars to devour gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees.  There is nothing left but the people still refuse to ask God for the things they desperately need so He sends a plague, war and enemies and causes the stench of death to rise to their nostrils.  But stubborn pride wins out and they stubbornly refuse to cry out to God.  And you know, we are just like that today.  Hurricanes bear down on us, tornados, floods threaten to destroy but I wonder, how many cried out to God in the midst of their distress?  Or how about when health fails, pain tears at us, the knees wobble and we faint in weakness of flesh- are we quick to cry out to the great Physician?  Or do we just run to other men?

Woe to the person who refuses to acknowledge their desperate need for God.  He is able to crush the life out of us just like I crush the life out of the insect who mistakenly wanders onto my kitchen floor. 

I feel sorry for my aunt.  She has no fear of the awesome, powerful, Almighty God and she will soon stand naked and empty handed before Him and give an account for her life.  Perhaps she will try to justify herself but she will have no excuse.  Because she did not search for truth as for hidden treasure, she came to her own conclusion and settled there.

Oh seek Him, while you still can.

 

1Chron 29:9 the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

 

Psalm 10 :4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.

  All his thoughts are, "There is no God."

 

Hebrews 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.