Friday, April 9, 2010

Is God Responsible for Disasters and Calamities?

From a conversation I was having with a Facebook acquaintance:

"Mr. Hardy...consider Job. Who afflicted Job, God or Satan? Satan. Does Satan have power to afflict whomever he will on this planet? No. Who gives him permission...who decides what he can and cannot do? God. Job does not blame Satan for his affliction. Instead he comes to God and asks "Why?"

What amazing faith had Job...when his wife told him to curse God and die, what was his reply? "Shall we accept the good from the Lord and not the evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips." (Job 2:10)

When Satan had slaughtered all of Job's sons and daughters...what did Job say?

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)

Was he wrong to say it was God who had taken away his family? The next verse says again, "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." (Job 1:22)

Job was right and still faithful, understanding that God is all powerful, a mighty God, and NOTHING can happen in this universe unless He allows it. NOTHING is out of His control.

But whatever happens, we always know we can trust God. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

In considering the character of God, we must not over-emphasize His mercy to the exclusion of His justice. The same God who hung on a cross to take the punishment for my sins is the same God who rained down fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, the same God who destroyed the entire planet's population, excepting 8 souls, the same God who sent His angel of death to take the life of every firstborn child upon whose door was not the blood of the lamb.

Make no mistake...God is love, but He is also justice."

4 comments:

  1. Amen. God has all under control as you say. It's just our DOUBT that get's in the way. One of my favorite two words said by our Lord is " Only believe".

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  2. I was a little apprehensive about posting this because I don't want anyone to get the idea that I believe God CAUSES these disasters or calamities...only that He ALLOWS them.

    His reasons are beyond our comprehension and cannot be questioned. Who are we to question God?

    God's answer to Job of old is still His answer to those who question Him today: Job 38-41

    One of the most powerful passages recorded in Scripture, from God's own mouth!

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  3. It needs to be posted Todd, you did good and your right, many have attempted to explain why disasters and calamities happened and who caused them (God or Satan) but they are guessing at best. Many times, I get the impression men, even Christians has to have an explanation for everything with their greatly limited brains, (pride,arrogance?)

    Only when we are in heaven and Jesus explains it to us in Person can we know the real truth.

    Until then, I just accept "thus saith the Lord" and leave it as that.

    And yes, over-emphasizing the Lord's mercy leads to "oh, everyone will be saved" and all such mentalities.
    Pete

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  4. So true. I think you're right that it is a form of pride and arrogance on our part when we feel like we must explain and understand everything.

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