Biblical Q & A: Why do bad things happen to good people?

John 16:33 "...In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

The Course of Empire-Destruction by Thomas Cole,1836

Stuff happens

Raging from coast to coast, Hurricane Helene’s devastating 140-mph winds decimated the Eastern Seaboard. Shortly thereafter, merciless Santa Ana-driven infernos consumed vast swaths of the West, leaving countless thousands of Americans reeling from loss in nature’s unprecedented dual assault. Bad things happen! But who’s to blame and why? And where is God in all of this?

In 1981, Rabbi Harold Kushner published his NY Times bestseller entitled “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” The book was a heart-wrenching response to the death of his 12-year-old son Aaron, who had recently passed from Progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes rapid aging.

The book’s primary conclusion was that God was not all-powerful and, although all-loving, He was unable to prevent suffering. It submitted that rather than asking, "Why did God do this?" we should ask, "Now that this has happened, how can God help me cope?"

According to Rabbi Kusher, God doesn't send suffering as punishment, and some things just happen by random chance, not divine will. God's role is to help people cope with and find meaning in suffering. We can't blame ourselves or God for random tragedies, and should instead, find comfort in the fact that God suffers with us and gives us the strength to face our adversities.

While the book was immensely popular and probably even comforting to many, it doesn’t conform with the Bible regarding God’s character or His interactions with mankind during times of calamity and suffering.

Who’s to blame?

According to a quote from the French philosopher Montaigne, “Men’s minds are too ready to excuse guilt in themselves and to condemn it in others.” If anything, casting blame is the one consolation from the suffering of a disaster, and even before a tragedy is over, the blame game commences.

A hurricane is totally a natural disaster, and the fault here normally shifts from cause to delayed relief efforts. As climate change hysteria loses credibility, fewer people accept that as a viable scapegoat. There’s still a lot to commiserate about, but hurricanes are systemically different than forest fires.

Two-legged morons with blow torches, downed power lines and lightening spark devastating fires, not climate change—despite the claims of those craving more control by pushing this false narrative.

That still leaves the issue of exacerbating conditions—water and forest mismanagement, reduced fire fighting budgets, and DEI hires for fire department leadership positions. Additionally, there are state and local politicians who are comically inept. The point is, there’s enough blame to continue discussing any particular disaster for years to come.

But now, let’s recall Rabbi Kushner’s conclusion that God is not all-powerful. What does the Bible say? Just the opposite, Job 42:2 claims, “I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Shouldn’t we, then, blame God?

God is totally in charge

The truth is that God either causes or allows all things to happen, according to Ephesians 1:11: “…[He] works all things according to the counsel of his will.” All things are under God’s control and are used for His purposes. How can we understand this perspective?

Most people assume that our universe is the be-all and end-all of our existence. This is highlighted in 1 Corinthians 15:32, which heralds, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, our world is cursed and really little more than a placeholder until God’s Kingdom is finally established. This is verified in Genesis 3:17-18, “…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…"

Of course, through God’s gracious love, we still enjoy the beauty and benefits of His created universe, the love of family and friends, and the many fulfilling purposes we pursue through our passions and interests. But this is not without pain and suffering—medical and financial woes, heartbreaks, and, of course, natural and man made disasters.

In the Kingdom, however, pain and suffering will end as Revelation 21:4 promises: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

God’s purpose for trials

We should understand that God’s dealings are directed at two distinct segments—believers and non-believers. This is expressed in two verses: Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” and Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.”

God uses suffering and trials to refine believers' faith, develop spiritual maturity, and demonstrate His faithfulness. James 1:2-4 instructs Christians to "count it all joy when facing trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." In summary, God uses trials to prepare believers for even greater tasks.

God uses suffering and trials in unbelievers' lives to demonstrate their need for salvation, show the futility of life without Christ, and potentially bring them to repentance. Although it can also be used to punish, such as Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, suffering and trials can shatter self-sufficiency and pride, causing non-believers to question their worldview and consider their eternal destiny. This is illustrated in Acts 16:25-30, with the Philippian jailer's conversion through an earthquake: “Suddenly there was a great earthquake... the jailer... fell down trembling before Paul and Silas and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’”

So, why is it taking so long to bring in the Kingdom? 2 Peter 3:9 answers this, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

There is an interesting discussion between Christ and His disciples in Luke 13:1-5, “…[they] told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And He answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse sinners than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.’”

Note how Christ shifts the focus from “Why did they die?” to “Are you ready to die?”

Jesus referred to these tragedies to make a critical spiritual point: all people are sinners in need of repentance, and physical death is not the worst thing that can happen; in fact, eternal death without repentance is a much more significant concern.

Which brings me to the conclusion: Are you ready to die?

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Thad