By Robert Jeffress
Far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to do wrong.
–Job 34:10
Admittedly, it is difficult to reconcile God’s absolute control over His creation with His inherent goodness. If we accept the existence of God and the reality of evil, then we must conclude that a God who would allow tragedies is either evil or impotent. Yet neither conclusion is a viable alternative.
The Bible attests to the goodness of God, who is defined by His love for righteousness and hatred of evil in verses such as “Good and upright is the Lord” (Psalm 25:8); “O taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8); and “God is love” (1 John 4:8).
Even apart from the Bible, the world is filled with evidence of a benevolent Creator. Yes, natural disasters kill people, but most of the time, rivers stay in their banks and the tectonic plates do not shift. Farmers periodically struggle with droughts, but usually sufficient rains come to protect their livelihood and provide our food. We read of crimes committed against people, forgetting the reason they are reported is that such crimes are the exception rather than the rule. The outpouring of financial support and volunteering to help victims of natural disasters and tragedies are reflections of the goodness of God, in whose image we are made.
The reason we are so surprised, upset, and confused by natural disasters, illnesses, and crimes is that such calamities are the exception rather than the norm. But even if all the good things we experience were negated by an equal amount of bad things, one could not logically use those difficulties to disprove the existence of a loving God. The case for a benevolent, all-powerful God would be just as strong as the case against such a God.
When suffering strikes, some people try to comfort themselves with the thought, “God would have stopped this from happening had He been able.” But does belief in a God with limited power offer any real hope? When adversity comes raging into your life, the only protection you have is the assurance that there is a God surrounding you who controls both the intensity and direction of your suffering. Otherwise, you and I are merely victims of random events.
Fortunately, the Bible assures us of God’s absolute control over all His creation: “You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2); “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19); “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3). God’s control over His creation extends into every detail of your life as well.
