The world God created is phenomenal.  Everything is intricately, deliberately established with purpose.  The rotation of the earth, its precise distance from the sun, the force of gravity all work together to provide an awesome environment in which plants and animals thrive and reproduce.  The air is continuously replenished with oxygen.  The good earth’s soil is composed of all nutrients needed to sustain life. Rivers of fresh water flow above and below ground.

       In addition to sustaining life, the world is visually beautiful with mountains, vast oceans, the moon and stars that consistently mark time, and seasons that offer variety. As the Psalmist observes: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Ps.19:1, KJV).

       As we consider the creation story in Genesis, God had an advanced plan for humans to rule and have dominion over His magnificent creation:

         And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have

        dominion    over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle,

        and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth”

        Gen.1:26).

 With this delegation of dominion to humans already in mind, God creates man and woman. He blesses them to be: Fruitful and multiply, to fill and subdue the earth, and to rule over fish, birds, and every living creature. God gave man: every seed-bearing plant, every tree with fruit and seed, and every green plant for food (Gen.1:29) with only one restriction. God’s one restriction was a command: “DO NOT EAT of the Tree of Good and Evil.”  The rule came with a penalty: DEATH (Gen. 2:17).

       Adam and Eve were living the life: A beautiful garden with four rivers (Gen.2:10) and everything they needed.  No sorrow, no death, no sickness.  All was good until Chapter 3 where a new character joins the scene. The fallen angel, Satan, interestingly disguised in the form of a serpent deceptively tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.  She eats and shares it with Adam who also eats it.

       Life on earth takes a tragic turn! The consequence of sin changes things for all humanity.  Death enters the world.  War between good and evil begins.  The very DNA of man is altered from immortal to mortal, from sinless to sinful. 

       Surprisingly, God’s delegated dominion of the earth to mankind, is not revoked–even when humans mess up, make mistakes, or choose evil over good. So, now, with a moral awareness of good and evil, humans are free to choose.

       It is not hard, even today, to identify with Adam and Eve and their original temptation over food.  How often do we eat something that we know is not good for us? Sugar is known to be unhealthy, yet we consume desserts filled with sugar. Processed foods are not healthy, yet we often choose convenience over health. We know if we overeat, it will negatively impact our bodies. Yet, we consume more than needed.

       Consider the many daily choices between good and evil that every human makes. These choices rarely impact just the individual. The choices between good and evil sometimes impact blood lines, families, future generations, communities, organizations, and in some cases an individual choice may impact a nation or even the world. It is obvious that man was never intended to be a robot. God is not a puppeteer, pulling strings or programing man’s actions.

       Yet, when a drunk driver unintentionally kills innocent people, a parent of young children dies, a child develops an incurable disease, or any tragedy of unsurmountable grief occurs, it is not uncommon for people to utter expressions such as, “It must have been God’s will;” God must have needed another angel in heaven;” or “God needed your loved one more than you do.” Such expressions may be attempts to console, but they each blame God for the tragedy and seem blasphemous.

       Likewise, earthquakes, hurricanes, and natural disasters are commonly called “Acts of God.” In Rabbi Harold S. Kushner’s book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Kushner claims that calling disastrous acts of nature “Acts of God” is “using God’s name in vain”  

       How can humans not acknowledge that it is man’s choices and Satan’s deceptions that are responsible for trials and tribulations that bring all manner of heartache, destruction, war, bizarre accidents, pain, and death to this world. Whether young or old, criminal or saint, deserving or undeserving, trials and tribulations come to all. C.S. Lewis concludes: “We live in enemy occupied territory” (Mere Christianity). The Bible calls Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4) and describes this arch enemy as one who walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). 

       It seems evident that the previous conclusions answer the frequently asked question:  Why do bad things happen to good people? Romans 3:23 further solidifies the answer: ^“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. This does not mean that every time you experience difficulty that it is your fault; however, it is the choices between good and evil—the collective sin of humanity that produces trials and tribulation for all. Death and tragedy circle back to Satan’s deception and human choices between good and evil. Those choices continue to taint the world with numerous intentional and unintentional consequences. 

       So, what is God’s role?  He created us, loves us, and cares deeply about His creation.  He loves mankind just as a good parent loves and grieves over children who disobey and go astray. He has not given up on us. He seeks to bring us back to himself, restore good, and destroy evil. Throughout history, God has delegated His plans to humans who will listen to His voice and obey His commands. In order to preserve good over evil, God entrusted His plans to Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, numerous prophets of old, and a host of New Testament individuals who have been willing by faith to trust God, and confirm His love. God continues to fulfill His plans and demonstrate His love for humanity through the willing cooperation of humans. 

       While the sinful side of man has been mentioned, there is also a good side. We see incredible sacrifices made in order to save others and bring about good. It is through man that some diseases have been eradicated, wars of evil have been won, and the gospel has been preserved and communicated around the world. There is more, much more to come: ^“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

      Ironically, even God’s most treasured gift: Redemption of the human race is made possible only through the cooperation and consent of humans (Mary and Joseph in addition to other key participants) throughout the ages. Consequently, every human is invited to accept the gift of Salvation offered through the perfect sacrifice which resulted in the death and resurrection of Jesus, known as the Son of God and the Son of man.  Yet, the choice is always up to each individual: To love or hate, to receive God’s sacrificial gift of salvation or reject it. 

       Never conclude in the trials you face in this world that God does not care. Choose to be reconciled to your Creator through Jesus’ atonement and become a part of God’s eternal Kingdom, where: 

• Satan is defeated
• Death is swallowed up in Victory
• And Jesus will reign

Jesus has already paid the price: ^“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). 

        So, God the Creator is not God the Controller. He is all-powerful and He has an amazing plan to reconcile the human race. The Bible reveals God’s blue-print for a new heaven and a new earth. It will be a place of peace with no sickness, sin, or death. Preparations are already in place.  However, the all-Sovereign Creator does not impose His plan of Salvation on humanity.  It is an individual choice to be made by each person.

  

Bio:
Marcia Shepherd lived in eight states plus Germany. She has three adult children and seven grandchildren. Marcia and her husband of 51 years are now retired and reside in Yorktown, VA. They are active at Next Level Church, a nondenominational church pastored by their son.