IF GOD IS SO GOOD WHY DOES HE LET INNOCENTS SUFFER?

JOB 1:1-3 (NIV) IN THE LAND OF UZ THERE LIVED A MAN WHOSE NAME WAS JOB. THIS MAN WAS BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT; HE FEARED GOD AND SHUNNED EVIL. 2 HE HAD SEVEN SONS AND THREE DAUGHTERS, 3 AND HE OWNED SEVEN THOUSAND SHEEP, THREE THOUSAND CAMELS, FIVE HUNDRED YOKE OF OXEN AND FIVE HUNDRED DONKEYS, AND HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF SERVANTS. HE WAS THE GREATEST MAN AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE EAST.

JOB 1:8 (NIV) 8 THEN THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, "HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB? THERE IS NO ONE ON EARTH LIKE HIM; HE IS BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT, A MAN WHO FEARS GOD AND SHUNS EVIL."

JOB 1:9-12 (NIV) 9 "DOES JOB FEAR GOD FOR NOTHING?" SATAN REPLIED. 10 "HAVE YOU NOT PUT A HEDGE AROUND HIM AND HIS HOUSEHOLD AND EVERYTHING HE HAS? YOU HAVE BLESSED THE WORK OF HIS HANDS, SO THAT HIS FLOCKS AND HERDS ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE LAND.

JOB 1:9-12 (NIV) 11 BUT STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND AND STRIKE EVERYTHING HE HAS, AND HE WILL SURELY CURSE YOU TO YOUR FACE.” 12 THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, "VERY WELL, THEN, EVERYTHING HE HAS IS IN YOUR HANDS, BUT ON THE MAN HIMSELF DO NOT LAY A FINGER." THEN SATAN WENT OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

IF GOD IS SO GOOD WHY DOES HE LET INNOCENTS SUFFER?

JOB 8:3-7 (TLB) 3 DOES GOD TWIST JUSTICE? 4 IF YOUR CHILDREN SINNED AGAINST HIM, AND HE PUNISHED THEM, 5 AND YOU BEGGED ALMIGHTY GOD FOR THEM— 6 IF YOU WERE PURE AND GOOD, HE WOULD HEAR YOUR PRAYER AND ANSWER YOU AND BLESS YOU WITH A HAPPY HOME.

1.GOD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES 2.YOUR CHILDREN SINNED AND THEY WERE PUNISHED FOR IT 3.IF YOU REPENT GOD WILL FIX THE SITUATION GOD WILL BLESS

JOB 8:20-22 (TLB) 20 "BUT LOOK! GOD WILL NOT CAST AWAY A GOOD MAN, NOR PROSPER EVILDOERS. 21 HE WILL YET FILL YOUR MOUTH WITH LAUGHTER AND YOUR LIPS WITH SHOUTS OF JOY. 22 THOSE WHO HATE YOU SHALL BE CLOTHED WITH SHAME, AND THE WICKED DESTROYED."

1.GOD WILL FILL YOUR MOUTH WITH LAUGHTER AND REJOICING. 2.THOSE WHO ARE YOUR ENEMIES WILL BE PUT TO SHAME AND HOMELESS.

THEOLOGY OF THE WORLD: “KARMA” DO GOOD – GET GOOD DO BAD – GET BAD

GALATIANS 6:7 (NKJV) 7 DO NOT BE DECEIVED, GOD IS NOT MOCKED; FOR WHATEVER A MAN SOWS, THAT HE WILL ALSO REAP.

IMPORTANT LESSON #1: YOU DO NOT ALWAYS REAP INSTANTLY

ECCLESIASTES 8:11 (TLB) BECAUSE GOD DOES NOT PUNISH SINNERS INSTANTLY, PEOPLE FEEL IT IS SAFE TO DO WRONG. GALATIANS 6:9 (NIV) LET US NOT BECOME WEARY IN DOING GOOD, FOR AT THE PROPER TIME WE WILL REAP A HARVEST IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP.

IMPORTANT LESSON #2: GOD’S GRACE IS MIND BLOWING

MATTHEW 5:43-45 (TLB) 43 "THERE IS A SAYING, ’LOVE YOUR FRIENDS AND HATE YOUR ENEMIES.’ 44 BUT I SAY: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES! PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU! 45 … FOR HE GIVES HIS SUNLIGHT TO BOTH THE EVIL AND THE GOOD, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST TOO.

IMPORTANT LESSON #3: HIS THOUGHTS ARE NOT OUR THOUGHTS

ISAIAH 55:8-9 (NIV) 8"FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NEITHER ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS," DECLARES THE LORD. 9 "AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.

WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE “BIGGEST DEALS” FOR US MAY NOT BE TRUE BIG DEALS WHEN VIEWED FROM ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.

ROMANS 8:17-18 (NLT) 17 AND SINCE WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, WE ARE HIS HEIRS. IN FACT, TOGETHER WITH CHRIST WE ARE HEIRS OF GOD’S GLORY. BUT IF WE ARE TO SHARE HIS GLORY, WE MUST ALSO SHARE HIS SUFFERING. 18 YET WHAT WE SUFFER NOW IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE GLORY HE WILL REVEAL TO US LATER.

IMPORTANT LESSON #4: GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR THE “BAD” STUFF

1 PETER 1:6-7 (NKJV) 6 IN THIS YOU GREATLY REJOICE, THOUGH NOW FOR A LITTLE WHILE, IF NEED BE, YOU HAVE BEEN GRIEVED BY VARIOUS TRIALS, 7 THAT THE GENUINENESS OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD THAT PERISHES, THOUGH IT IS TESTED BY FIRE, MAY BE FOUND TO PRAISE, HONOR, AND GLORY AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST,

ISAIAH 50:10 (NIV) 10 WHO AMONG YOU FEARS THE LORD AND OBEYS THE WORD OF HIS SERVANT? LET HIM WHO WALKS IN THE DARK, WHO HAS NO LIGHT, TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD AND RELY ON HIS GOD.