1.WHY DO YOU ALLOW SUFFERING?"

Why ask that question?

'A loving God would prevent life's tragedies,' many conclude.

TO THINK ABOUT:  We might find the habits and customs of people from another culture to be strange-perhaps even shocking. We could easily misinterpret their  actions.  For example, in one culture people feel that maintaining eye contact is a sign of sincerity; in another they see it as a sign of disrespect. Yet even in such cases, there would be no reason to say that they are wrong. Instead, we just need to get to know them better. 

Could something similar happen when it comes to understanding God?  Many believe that the presence of suffering proves that God does not exist.  Others, though, who have come to understand why God has allowed suffering, are  confident that he does exist.  

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS:  God's thoughts and ways are different from our ours.  (Isaiah 55:8, 9) Because of that, his actions, as well as his reasons for waiting before he acts, may at first seem strange to us .

Still, the Bible does not ask us to accept such hollow expressions as "God works in mysterious ways." Instead, it encourages us to learn more about God, helping us to understand why and when he acts as he does.  We can even draw close to  him. -James 4:8. 

Note: If you remember, I did a blog awhile back about why God allows suffering.  It is because Satan  challenged God's  sovereignty and his way of ruling. Satan said that he could do better than God. Well, you see what has happened, right? The government in this universe has literally and royally screwed it up, because Satan is running everything, for now. 

Next time: 2. "WHY IS RELIGION FULL OF HYPOCRISY?" 

From the Awake! magazine