If you were given the opportunity to ask God one question, what would it be? I’m not sure what question I would ask, but I will provide you with Biblical answers to questions that I’ve received from others. In the next couple of blogs, I will address some common questions that are on the minds of believers and non-believers.
Two of the most asked questions are: Why did God allow this to happen? and Is God responsible for tragedies? These two questions are similar, so I will answer them together since my response is the same for both.
To answer these questions, we need to go back to the book of Genesis which describes how God created the world, including man. In Genesis 1:26 God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” In verse 28, God said man was to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion over the earth. The word “dominion” means to have sovereignty, authority, or control. In verse 31, God saw everything He had made and said it was very good.
Everything God created in that six-day period was good and very good. The Garden of Eden was absolutely breathtaking and perfect—that was God’s original design for this world. He wanted man to live in paradise and lack for nothing; however, when Adam and Eve sinned, they became independent from God, bringing evil and destruction into the world. This affected not only man but the earth as well.
Psalm 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” Once God created the world, He gave authority and control to Adam and Eve. He wanted man to rule over this world. Because of their sin, death and destruction became a part of our lives, including the earth. God does not allow earthquakes, storms, murder, and tragedy to happen. We do! That might shock you, but the scriptures are very clear that God gave man dominion, power, and authority, as well as free will.
You might ask, why did God allow someone to be murdered, raped, or killed in a car accident? God didn’t cause any of these situations; fallen man did. The persons committing these acts had free will to choose evil or good. A person who got drunk and then drove recklessly killing someone else caused the car accident. God didn’t force the person to drink, get drunk, and drive recklessly. That person had the free will to choose to commit that horrific act ultimately destroying someone else’s life.
Jesus came to earth to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Since this is true, how can God be blamed when tragedies strike? God gave us free will and the ability to choose Jesus and salvation. Adam and Eve had a choice to eat of the tree of good and evil or to obey God. God didn’t force them to disobey, nor did He stop them. Abel gave his offering by faith while Cain gave his by obligation. Because Abel’s offering was accepted by God and Cain’s wasn’t, Cain was offended and jealous and killed his brother Abel. You could ask why God didn’t stop Cain from killing Abel. It was because God gave each of us free will to choose right from wrong, and He honors the decisions we make even if it’s sin or disobedience.
We have blamed God for so many things that are not His fault. I think many find it easier to blame God and others in order to take the heat off of themselves. Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam blamed Eve and God, thus starting a pattern that many of us continue today. If someone young dies from an illness, it is easier to say, “God must have wanted my loved one to be in Heaven with Him” then face the fact that it was not God’s Will for that person to die young. That tornado, hurricane, or earthquake must have been an act of God or God’s judgement against that city, town, or neighborhood—NO! Also, COVID-19 is not God’s judgement on the world.
God wants us to live an abundant, blessed, and healthy life and not die prematurely. God did not cause anyone’s sickness and He doesn’t allow sickness or death; it is the enemy who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. If you have to put the blame on someone, put it where it belongs—on the devil. Jesus came to earth to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) as well as to give His children life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
When I believed the lie that God allowed my car accident, it kept me in bondage to the brain injury that I had suffered. I held on to the brain injury as a “gift” because it must have been from God—this was wrong and incorrect thinking. It wasn’t until I heard God’s truth that He wanted me well that I able to be set free from the disability. As I began to believe the healing scriptures, my brain completely woke up and what I had lived with for 13 ½ years vanished in an instant. The lie and deception from the enemy that God had caused or allowed my brain injury kept me from living the abundant life that Jesus came to give me.
Adam and Eve handed dominion (authority) over to satan in the Garden. The enemy became the god of this world through lies and deception until Jesus came to set us free from sickness and destruction (Psalm 107:20). At the cross (death, burial, and resurrection), Jesus took the keys back to the kingdom. Unfortunately, due to the original sin in the Garden, the planet was transformed from perfection to instability, which is why we have earthquakes, sickness, etc.
Even though we live in a fallen world, it doesn’t mean we should live defeated lives. Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). He blesses us with heavenly blessings (Ephesians 1:3), crowns us with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5), supplies us with every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19), and protects us from danger and sickness (Psalm 91).
Do not accept the lies of the enemy and what this world tells you. Dive into the scriptures and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you who God really is. He is an awesome Father (Abba), Healer (Jehovah Rapha), Provider (Yahweh Yireh), Shepherd (Yahweh Roi), Bread of Life (Artos Zoes), God with us (Immanuel), etc.
God does not allow or cause tragedies. Seek Him out and ask Him yourself when something happens that you don’t understand.
~Donna Jones