What Does The Bible Say About Accidentally Killing Someone? And what happens if we run to him? When people who love and follow God die in a sudden, unexpected or tragic wayit can cause us to question where God was and why He did not intervene. He knows our words and our thoughts even before we speak them (Psalm 139:4). Thats when everything changed. He is saying that God is with him wherever he is bodily, spiritually, and emotionally. I am sad that I wont get to see Jude graduate high school, or get his first job, or get married, or see him become a dad. God knew we'd rebel against him, but he also knew many people would choose to follow him and have a relationship with him and spend eternity in heaven with him. When people who love and follow God die in a sudden, unexpected or tragic wayit can cause us to question where God was and why He did not intervene. Psalm 139 in particular has pointed me to three truths about Gods character that have been of immense comfort to me as I move forward, leaning into God. I immediately finished up what I was doing, asked a few people at the office to pray, and drove home. Buddhists have taught the concept of Karma for several thousand years that a persons actions have long-range consequences. On several occasions David escaped death in the hands of King Saul because the protection of God was upon his life. Why would a loving God allow for people to die a painful death in accidents? If God Knew That Adam And Eve Would Sin, Why Did He Create Them? He didn't say you mighthe said it is going to happen. Let us keep in mind, too, the character and wisdom of God. Send a text saying, Im going to the grocery store, can I grab you anything? Offer to pick up their laundry, and drop it off clean and folded the next day. But look at it this way. [9] If they suffer an accident, it would be because God consciously lifted the protection for a particular righteous purpose. Sadly, that time is not now, but we can rest assured of fulfillment of Gods promise (Hebrews 6:17-20) and a time when we will see our loved ones again in the wonderful Kingdom of God. Christianity calls thisThe Fall. Even before you had children, couldn't you foresee that there was the very real possibility they may suffer disappointment or pain or heartache in life, or that they might even hurt you and walk away from you? What should we understand? Its June 2023, and we are deep into pride month. There was a boy hit by a car while crossing the street coming home from school and Jude isnt home yet. I was at the Church office when I got this message from my wife. What about reported life-after-death experiences? On January 26, 2020, our world was shocked to hear of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. Biblically speaking, it has to be the third option. When bad things happen, however, we can do one of two things: we can either be angry with God, or we can turn to Him in trust and faith. The same is true in understanding why there is tragedy and suffering in our lives. 3. And Jesus said they are coming. Even in my mourning, I am comforted by God that Jude is happier today than he has ever been. May the Psalmists words become yours: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. God can do all things. We are likely to say its unfair because they had faith in God and served Him as a Christian. In Canada we assume we will live around 80 years. So in order for us to experience love, God bestowed on us free will. All he asked was that they not eat the fruit of just one of the trees in the garden. In fact, in the beginning it wasnt. He is married to Vanessa, and together they have four sons, one of whom is in heaven. He had been in and out of hospitals his whole lifeand yet he made the astounding comment that he thinks God is fair. ", And those two tragic events are just added to the everyday pain and suffering being experienced in individual lives. If you've put your trust in him, then he is in you. In one situation, a number of brethren from Galilee were killed and their blood was mingled with the sacrifices by Pontius Pilate. Your relationship with God is close and real and intimate. You get promoted at work to your dream job. Sign up to receive email notifications of new posts when they get published. Yet it's still important to grapple with the question of why God allows suffering in our lives. Real love always involves a choice. What Does it Mean that the Kingdom of God Suffers Violence? "Our God is in the heavens he does all that he pleases!" (Psalm 115:3) And in working his sovereign purposes, he did not even spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all! But to give us the ability to love, God had to give us free will to decide whether to love or not to love. I could barely see the white stripe on the edge of the road. Trials can open our eyes to those who are suffering. However, there is a time in the future when Satan will be put away for eternity. As Christians, we dont grieve like those who have no hope. Jesus told his followers, Go and make disciples of all nations. Pastors know well that no two people under their care are in the same place spiritually. Why didn't God annihilate Satan after his rebellion? When a person chooses to do evil against another person, he brings suffering into the world. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. Several years ago, I commissioned a national survey and asked people what question they'd ask if they could only ask God one thing. Things were becoming clearer, we could see better, and as we rounded a curve, silhouetted against the night sky, guess what we saw? This is definitely tough to swallow sometimes as a believer in God. When Tragedy Challenges Faith | Saint Mary's Press ", But there's a flaw built into the question. Throughout Luke 13:1-5, Jesus Christs point to those gathered was that these people were no worse sinners than anyone else and this wasnt punishment for a life of sin. A preacher reflects on a local mass shooting. To somehow cushion the fall, preventing an untimely and tragic death? And God doesn't make this promise to everyone. We can go to the Lord in prayer and just lay our burdens before him. Because you knew there was also the potential for tremendous joy and deep love and great meaning. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. (And Why Does It Matter?). May you and your friend turn instead to Christ, and find in Him the comfort and strength you need. Yes He does . The short answer is that God never meant for the world to be this way. 3. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.Proverbs 25:26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked., Luke 10:30-37 Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. We all sin, dont we? [1]I believe this passage may suggest pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus with Adam and Eve. He didn't resolve all the issues with the characters." I still wasnt sure if it was Jude who was hit, but I had a sickening feeling in my stomach that my life was about to change. I wrote my first novel last year. He loved and he was rejected. He likes to play sports and video games with his sons, and cheer on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Manchester United. When I was asked to explain the tragedy of the fire at the MGM Grand Hotel, I had to say, "There's a mystery to tragedies like this. Why does God allow suffering to continue? How is our experience of grief and tragedy different than those who do not know Christ? Their betrayal of God brought a corrupted sinful state into themselves, all of the rest of us, and in fact, into all of creation. There are no words to describe the anguish being felt by those who are suffering today; our heart and prayers have, and will, go out to them. On the Evidence For Biblical Creation and Christianity: What Are Some Favorite Resources? 2. or does divine Providence touch the lives of men? He controls all things. instead Christ makes the point that death comes to us all, and we must lead a Kingdom-focused life while we are here. It is for this reason that we must stand strong in the faith as we hold to the strength, power, and authority of Jesus Christ to overcome every obstacle put on our way by Satan. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Some who lose a child to a drunk driver turn inward in chronic rage and never-ending despair; another turns outward to help others by founding Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out Gods wrath on the wrongdoer.Acts 4:28 To do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever., Luke 10:27 And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.Matthew 5:38-39 You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. Instead of laying the blame at God's throne (which is frequently donewe even call natural disasters "acts of God"! Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen? - The Church of Jesus Christ Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to . I Loved Studying Math. 336 views, 11 likes, 2 loves, 0 comments, 15 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Cherokee Billie Spiritual Advisor: We are always questioning violent acts of nature, mindless killing, tragic accidents. So the Christian view is that most Natural Evil, that is, the suffering due to natural disasters and violence, accidents, sickness, and disease, is a result of that original sin by Adam and Eve. If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another mans field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna was also killed in the crash. The Bible tells us that at that time, the animals didnt even eat each other (Gen. 1:29-30). Due to the very nature of love, love needs to be a choice. However, theyve been given authority in Christ to come out victorious. And his name was Mephibosheth., Psalm 19:1-6 To the choirmaster. They hid their faces from him as if he were a leper. Unlike some other religious leaders who wrote off pain and suffering as mere illusions, Jesus was honest about the inevitability of suffering. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In Gods sovereign plan, he knew this would happen. He was sold out. And, therefore, your sufferings are his sufferings; your sorrow is his sorrow. A friend wins the lottery and gives you $100 million. Maybe you've never asked why our world is infected with pain and suffering, but my guess is you will when they strike you or a loved one with full force. Suffering carries a message of mystery. He has held me fast. In our hardest times, we dont need longwinded expressions. It all happened just 21 miles from where we're sitting. Christianity calls it theGood News, or theGospel, and Ill let you read all about it in this other post. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you.2 Samuel 4:4 Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. Because love always involves a choice. In Matthew 4, Satan twists this passage to tempt Christ to throw himself from the parapet of the templeto somehow prove Gods protection. The fourth point of light: Our suffering will pale in comparison to the good things God has in store for his followers. Life as a Christian isnt easy. God gave us the Psalms to teach us how to cry out to him. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.Isaiah 6:9-10 And he said, Go, and say to this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed., Deuteronomy 28:47-48 Because you did not serve theLordyour God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom theLordwill send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.1 Timothy 5:23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. Most of the people who died were innocent civilians, many were strong Christians. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me., Deuteronomy 28:1-68 And if you faithfully obey the voice of theLordyour God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, theLordyour God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. Throughout Jobs story, there was a misunderstanding that is expressed by Jobs friends that somehow Job deserved what was happening to him as a result of his sins basic cause and effect. Accidents and even mayhem are a part of life in a fallen world. This Common Challenge covers ways you can introduce, initiate, and instruct the entire congregation into the life of allegiance to Christ. Is there unrighteousness with God? Youcould say that none of this was any of our fault. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. The boy said, "Seventeen." In Romans 8:28 the Bible promises, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.". In other words, he offers us the two very things we need when we're hurting: peace to deal with our present and courage to deal with our future. In other words, we've only read half the book! Apart from time and chance happening to everyone and God deciding to intervene in certain circumstances, there is also the issue that we often suffer the unavoidable consequences of our own unwise behaviour. (Rom 8:32) There is no easy pill to swallow when assessing why God allows tragic things to happen. What Does The Bible Say About Adjusting To Change? He makes the solemn pledge that he will take the bad circumstances that befall us and cause good to emerge if we're committed to following him. PDF 2. God has created a world where accidents and tragedies can happen In another, a group of people were killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed. Let me finish the story of Leslie and I driving through the fog in Wisconsin. [1] God loved Adam and Eve, and all he ever really wanted was for them to love him as well. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? , Matthew 15:1-39 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? We may not be able to make out all the details of why certain things happen, but there are some key biblical truths that can illuminate some points of light for us. As such, the pain, suffering and tragedy that we see in the world around us today is a direct result of his influence. Because a forced love is really no love at all. Despite the challenges that you are facing in the Christian race, have in mind that there will be a time in the future when Satan will be put away for eternity. When Jude died, one of the most common reactions we heard from people was that it was so tragic that he died at such a young age. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of theLordyour God. Jobwho knew what it was to go through hard timeswisely said that "man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). ", This has been a heart-rending summer for Colorado. Subscribe to CT As such, the pain, suffering and tragedy that we see in the world around us today is a direct result of his influence. Father, thank you for hearing and answering me. It is harder than anything I could have ever imagined. The Bible says that the story of this world isn't over yet. God is not only near to David, but Gods right hand holds him fast. When my daughter was little, she had a doll with a string in the back, and when you pulled it the doll said, "I love you." But with God, he already knows our thoughts. It was difficult at the time. Above I quoted part of what Jesus said in John 16:33. In Matthew 4, Satan twists this passage to tempt Jesus Christ to through Himself from the parapet of the Temple to somehow prove Gods protection.
