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As I have watched story after story of the death and destruction due to the earthquake that hit in the Indian Ocean and the resulting tsunami that followed, I find myself asking WHY? I'm sure many of you are asking the same question – if God is good, infinitely loving and omnipotent, why do we, the products of His creation and the focus of His infinite love, suffer?

The problem of human suffering has confounded man for centuries. At the heart of the problem is a question that forces us to examine the very essence of God's nature. Who is God?

Some people deny God's existence because they cannot imagine a God who would allow such misery. Some believe God exists, but they don't want anything to do with Him because they don't think He could be good. Others have settled for a belief in a nice God who loves us but has lost control of this rebellious world. Still others cling desperately to a belief in an all-knowing, all-powerful, loving God who somehow uses evil for good.

As we search the Bible, we discover it paints a picture of a God who can do anything He chooses to do. Sometimes He acted in mercy and performed miracles in behalf of His people. At other times, though, He chose to do nothing to stop tragedy from striking. So, if God is supposed to be intimately involved in our lives, why does it seem as though He is deaf to our cries for help?

In the Bible, God assures us He is in control of all that happens, but sometimes, He allows us become the targets of evil people, bad genes, dangerous viruses, or natural disasters – like earthquakes and tsunamis.

If you're like me, you desperately want to know how to put together an answer to this puzzling issue of suffering. I believe God has given us enough pieces of the puzzle to help us trust Him even when we don't have all the information we'd like- in His Word – the Bible.

The Bible affirms that God is absolutely good:

He is also all-powerful:

He is able to prevent suffering, and He finds no pleasure in suffering. Yet human suffering is real; we all experience it. How then can we explain human suffering in a universe created by a good and omnipotent God?

It would be very vain and naïve of me to think I could understand and explain what the most knowledgeable and godly have found perplexing. Yet God's Word does make several helpful affirmations, which must be accepted even if not totally understood.

We must not forget that when God created man, He created him perfect. Man was not created for evil. Man did, however, have free will - the ability to obey or disobey God. If man had obeyed God we would not be where we are today. Instead, man would have lived an unending life of fellowship with God and enjoyment of Him and all of His creation. This is what God intended for man when He created him. However, the first man rebelled against God – and since then, every one of us has continued to ratify that rebellion.

The point is we must keep in mind that man is responsible for sin – not God.

At this, you might be asking, well, why didn't God make man so he couldn't sin? Believe me, He could have if He wanted to. But, if God had in fact created us that way we would no longer be human beings, we would simply be machines. There would never be angry words, never any conflict, never anything said or done that would make you mad or sad – but it probably wouldn't make you very happy either! Who would want a life like that? Not me!

If we were made like machines, there would never be any love, either. Love is voluntary. It is a choice! God could have made us like robots, but we would have ceased to been human. Apparently, God thought it worth the risk of creating us as we are. And He did and now we must face reality and the consequences of sin.

We must also recognize that God could stamp out evil if he chose. Jeremiah tells us in Lamentations:
Because of the LORD's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.
Lamentations 3:22 HCSB

One day God will stamp out all the evil in this world. In the meantime, God's love and grace prevail and His offer of mercy and pardon is still open to everyone. Just think - if God were to rid the world of evil today, He would do a COMPLETE job. His action would have to include each of our lies and personal impurities, our lack of love, and our failure to do good. Suppose God were to decide tonight He would remove all the evil from the world – who of us would still be here?

And even when you think God hasn't done anything about the evil and suffering in the world… He has. He did! God has done the most dramatic, costly, and effective thing He could possibly do giving his Son to die for evil men.

Just remember, it is possible for man to escape God's inevitable judgment of sin and evil. It is also possible to break its power by entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The ultimate answer to the problem of evil, at a personal level, is found in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.

If you don't know Jesus today as your personal Lord and Savior, I ask you, isn't it worth investigating to find out who He is before you decide He isn't for you?

Tune in for next week's column as I address the goodness of God.

"Refreshment in Refuge" from Gina Burgess

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