Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

It's a popular question -- one that has been asked down through the ages. Why do bad things happen to good people? Our finite minds can't fathom why a loving Father would allow His children to endure such suffering. Why would a faithful pastor lose his 3-year-old daughter to a brain tumor? Why would a Gospel singer and songwriter be taken from this earth when there was so much more he wanted to do for Christ? Why would a devoted church-going couple be facing financial ruin? Why? It just doesn't make any sense.

"Punish the wicked," we want to say. "They deserve whatever they get. They have no love for You, no desire to serve You. Punish them, Lord, but not us, Your faithful children."

During those times of confusion, if we will quiet our souls and listen to the still small voice of our Savior, we will hear the same answer He gave to the disciples when they questioned Him about tarrying in the city after they had received news of Lazarus' illness. It is all for the glory of God!

What? Glory? How can God get glory through our suffering? Actually, there are many ways, but I'll share just one example with you.

My pastor was the one who lost his 3-year-old little girl to a brain tumor. On his way home from the funeral, he wrote a song entitled "Resurrection Ground." People from all over the world have been blessed by that song. Without the tragedy, the song wouldn't have been written, and so many other lives would not have been touched.

Knowing that God has a purpose for our trials doesn't make them easy to bear, but it does help us to look at them from a different perspective. Instead of asking God why we must suffer another trial, we can ask Him to use our trial to be a blessing to someone else and to bring glory to Him.