In the OT book of Job, Jobs friends assumed that direct, personal sin was the cause for his troubles: his dead children, his bitter wife, the festering sores over his body, his destroyed vocation and lost wealth...
Job wasn't simply a good man though. Yes his friends were wrong but he wasn't simply a nice guy. He was a man who new the Creator of goodness, justice and righteousness. He was grounded, not in the knowledge of the reason for suffering, but in the Source of Life beyond the suffering.
It will continue to happen, suffering that is. But if you ask someone who has experienced the knowledge of Christ and who has faith that His love conquers all...you'll discover a mysterious response to suffering. Job had the same response.
Read Job - Particularly the Lords response in the final chapters.
Yet Job knew he was blameless. They were wrong in their assumptions, their judgements. Job had honored the Lord in all he did, in fact, this was the very reason God allowed Jobs persecution. Not sin but sanctification.
We struggle through the same issues today right? Pain, loss, evil, assumptions, judgement...
Good people suffer and hurt. Good people also thrive and live peaceful and productive lives.
Bad people suffer and hurt. Bad people also thrive and live peaceful and productive lives.
All good, even the good that bad, deceitful, evil people experience comes from the Lord. Regardless of Gods direct role in the goodness bad people experience at times, everyone on earth has the opportunity to experience goodness simply because God exists. His hand is on the earth and everything in it. He holds all things together and His presence - love, righteousness, purity, humility, goodness - affects all of creation regardless of it's moral conduct or awareness of Him.
The same is true for good people. Because God is, goodness is. Though Scripture speaks of Gods desire to bless those who truly do follow Him and live out His Truth. Absolute blessing will eventually come to those who are 'good' according to His divine nature.
When the day comes that the Lord removes His hand from the earth...then and only then will those alive experience absolute darkness - an eternal void, empty of anything righteous.
When the day comes that the Lord removes His hand from the earth...then and only then will those alive experience absolute darkness - an eternal void, empty of anything righteous.
Job wasn't simply a good man though. Yes his friends were wrong but he wasn't simply a nice guy. He was a man who new the Creator of goodness, justice and righteousness. He was grounded, not in the knowledge of the reason for suffering, but in the Source of Life beyond the suffering.
It will continue to happen, suffering that is. But if you ask someone who has experienced the knowledge of Christ and who has faith that His love conquers all...you'll discover a mysterious response to suffering. Job had the same response.
Read Job - Particularly the Lords response in the final chapters.