Why Do Innocent People Suffer (3)
Thursday February 27, 2014
God created humans to live forever in loving relationship with Him. He gave them the freedom to chose how they would relate to Him. Unfortunately, they chose to listen to Satan and were deceived. They thought that living by their own “smarts” – with the knowledge of good and evil – would be better than living under the direction of a loving God who alone knows how the world and all things in it fit together in a caring and supportive way.
As we discussed yesterday, suffering and evil entered into human relationships. Satan, who is a liar opposes God and deceives us. His main objective is to destroy those who are made in the image of God. He lies. He cheats. He manipulates. He destroys. His one agenda is to cause as much pain and suffering as possible and to get as many humans as he can involved in his agenda.
Jesus said: You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. (John 8:44 NLT)
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I [Jesus Christ] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10 NLT)
Why do innocent people suffer? Because humans co-operate with Satan’s agenda and fail to respond to God’s invitation to life.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned... (Romans 5:12 NLT)
Jesus said: How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. (Matthew 23:37 NLT)
We have a choice today – to live surrendered to our gracious God and allow His love to guide and shape our relationships for good, or to co-operate with the evil plans of Satan which always produce sorrow, suffering, and sin. Jesus Christ has made a way for us to live life to the full.
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