Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen?

"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD." --Isaiah 55:8

Have you ever wished you could understand God completely—understand why He allows bad things to happen? For most of my life I was able to keep that question at bay. Then my son went off to war.

I could no longer ignore my confusion. I had to have an answer.

As a believer, I knew the Biblical answer. It’s because man is sinful and God allowed us free will. That simplistic answer is tough to apply to real life—especially when real life means sending a son off on a deployment. Difficult, but not impossible.

I discovered that I was looking at the wrong side of the question. With God’s help, I’ve been able to dissect this verse and let God’s peace invade a hopeless situation. I’ve had to come to the realization that God has a bigger perspective than I can imagine. And I can trust Him with the outcome, no matter what is happening. I have seen Him make the possible out of the impossible again and again. For me, it’s comforting that God is too big to understand.

Because, I have to tell you, if my God was small enough for me to understand, I don’t think He’d be large enough to worship. In a nutshell, my revelation is also simplistic. I’ve come to accept that I don’t have to know the why, because I know the Who. That one small change in my perspective has made all the difference and has brought me a world of peace.