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Religous: Explaining evil and disasters
Pastor Don Porter
for South Peace News
Have you ever wondered why evil people seem to go unpunished? Or why bad things happen to good people?
If so, you are one of the many people throughout history who have asked God the same questions.
I sometimes wonder when I see the London Subway bombings or the terrorist attack on New York on 9/11. I wonder when I see the natural disasters like Katrina’s damage in New Orleans or the tsunami. In fact, some of the writers of the Bible asked God these questions. David asked them in the Psalms but Habakkuk asked these questions the most clearly and he received God’s answer which he then recorded in his book in the Bible.
Habakkuk asked God why the wicked in Judah were not being punished for their sin. He couldn’t understand why a just God would allow such evil to exist. When Habakkuk cried out in his time of struggle, God answered him with words of hope.
Saddened by the violence and corruption he saw around him, Habakkuk poured out his heart to God in Habakkuk 1:1-4. Today injustice is still rampant, but don’t let your concern cause you to doubt God or rebel against Him. Instead, consider the message that God gave to Habakkuk and recognize that God has long-range plans and purposes. We need to realize that God is doing right, even when we do not understand why He works as He does.
God wants us to come to Him with our struggles and doubts. But His answers may not be what we expect. God allows us to live in an imperfect world where there is evil and where bad things happen to good people.
But because of His love for us, God reveals Himself to us in our times of trouble so that we will not become dismayed. Trusting God leads to having a quiet hope, and not bitterness.
Habakkuk asked God why He would use the wicked to punish His people. God answered that He would also punish the wicked after they had fulfilled His purpose. God is still in control of this world in spite of the apparent triumph of evil.
Satan’s job, by comparison, is easy. Satan doesn’t have to get us to disbelieve in the authority of God’s Word, the Bible. Satan just has to get you and me to believe that our sin is not the thing standing between us and God and that because of God’s mercy our unrepented sin will not be judged.
God is the Creator; He is all-powerful. God is not one-dimensional. Just because God is merciful, God is also holy and righteous. Sin is a stench in His nostrils and God will not allow sin to go unpunished — even in His people. Just because judgment is delayed it does not mean that justice will be denied. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
If you have sin in your life then God’s desire is that you repent by turning away from your sin and accept the sacrifice of His Son Jesus for your sin. Then we can do what God told Habakkuk which was that if His judgment seemed slow to wait patiently, for it will surely take place.
God responded to Habakkuk’s questions and concerns by stating that He would do amazing acts that would astound him. When circumstances around us become unbearable, we wonder if God has forgotten us.
But remember, God is in control. God has a plan.
If we look at history we will see prosperous nations and evil world powers crushed overnight. If we are truly humble, we will be willing to accept God’s answers and await His timing. One day Jesus will rule the whole earth with perfect justice.
God is also our strength and our place of safety. We can have confidence that God will love us and guard our relationship with Him forever. Hope means going beyond our unpleasant daily experiences to the joy of knowing God. We live by trusting Him, even during life’s trials and not by the benefits, happiness, or success we may experience in this life. Our hope, like Habakkuk’s, comes from God.
Editor’s note: This column was first published Sept. 28, 2005.
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