We’ve talked about this at other times, yet the question comes up again and again…why do bad things happen to good people, who are faithful to Christ.

It’s easy to understand why bad things happen to BAD people, because although we try not to judge them, human nature can’t help but say, “they deserved what they got.”

But God and Christ don’t look at things the way we do. First, you’ll remember that back in King David’s time, God allotted that Man’s days on earth would be more or less seventy years. That still holds true today, although as we’ve learned more and more about the body, the average age is in the high seventies.

And we can see the good sense in this. If men lived to be 969, as Methuselah did, or 950 as Noah did (these were not unusual for a few hundred years after God formed the earth)…if men lived to be several hundred years of age, after a time, one man would be as wise or as evil as to take over the world’s wealth and power. Think what Hitler did from his youth at 30 or so, to the power he had by the time he was 50 or so.

And so back to the original question…why do nice and kind people have sad and bad things happen to them at times. Well, call it a test of faith. Just because a person turns to God, does not guarantee a rose garden to them, as the old song says. If being a Christian was a guarantee that all would be peaceful and calm in their lives from then on. If that were true, people would come claiming Christianity, just to get their worldly problems out of the way. They’d be “in like Flynn,” whomever that was.

No, the Christian’s reward is in the future…after they’ve passed from this life.

It’s all in that word “faith.” We have a great promise; of a place where they’ll be “no more goodbyes,” as one of my songs says, and that the Bible makes very clear. No more hurting nor sorrow. That’s worth the wait, even though Christians have bad and hurting times, just like non-Christians do.

So don’t despair when you see bad things…unexplainable things…happen to clean and upright people. This is the lot of the human race during our time on earth, and the fault is that evil one, satan. But rest assured, his time is coming, and he knows it. That’s why he stirs up as much trouble as he possibly can while he has power. Don’t despair; we have The Promise!

37BT Bill Thornton April 20, 2007