Evil.

Terrible things happen. Everyday. This simply cannot be mistaken for sin’s ineluctable blemish upon our days is seen everywhere our eyes turn to. Amidst the glory of the world’s beauty lies the deterioration of it in every way. Whether this is unbelievable acts of nature, which destroy hundreds of thousands of lives, or men acting upon sinful impulses that not even the depraved world understands, evil often seems to prevail. How can this be so when a good, just, creator God fashioned the beginnings of everything? The following example most assuredly will not suffice for our finite thinking minds, and simply putting it into words doesn’t mean that it’s not something that I myself struggle with, but the Bible does seem to comprehensively present it to us

“And his disciples asked him ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents but that the work of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:2-3 ESV)

Here it is. Bad things happen for the same reason that good things happen: that in all things God, the creator, sustainer, whom is all-sufficient and good will be glorified. As stated earlier, this makes no sense to our humanistic, time bound, finite minds. The truth is that we fight this concept until we see the glory and redemption. For years I am sure that the blind man in John 9 searched for WHY he was born blind. Yet in the moment of his healing, grace and redemption shone through years of misunderstanding to bring forth the truth. All things, whether good or bad in the eyes of man occurs to bring God, good and true, glory.

See: Genesis 19:30-38

On the heels of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot’s daughters find themselves in an interesting situation. With no man to help them birth a child in order to continue their family decent, they decide the most appropriate decision is to get their father drunk, and rape him in order to impregnate themselves. Awful. Disgusting. Seemingly quite glory-less to say the very least. Yet each of these two daughters birthed a son, on of them being Moab, the father of the Moabites.

See: The book of Ruth.

Ruth was a Moabite. Who was Ruth? The wife of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse.

Jesse. The father of King David, and the bloodline to the man Christ.

We find this awful, terrible event in history which plays a part in the Messiah entering the planet, needing of salvation.

God. Will. Have. His Glory.

See: Psalms 46:10

See: Luke 19:40

See: Mark 4:35-41

“He said to them ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Truthfully, considering the prior circumstances the disciples found themselves in, I once found these words harsh. Should the wind be fierce enough to almost capsize a full sized boat, which was filling with water, and I found Jesus sleeping in the stern, I know I may have been a found bit doubtful myself. Yet growing up, and reading this story, I think I often missed the first words Jesus spoke in the passage.

“Let us go across to the other side.” (Mark 4:35)

Through the bad, through the good, mountain high or valley low, rain or shine, pain or contentment, I am, and we are, His. His glory will not always be evident, and our depravity often blurs his divinity. Yet, in all things, he stands alone good. May we be of those who live and love in his goodness, though it may not be seen.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and glory.” (1 Peter 1:8)

Should you be a skeptic, it may be due to an event. Something which happened in the storm, from which you have shook your finger at God in anger which has fed disbelief. To you, I am sorry, and am praying that his glory will be shown so that you, like the blind man may stand upon understanding and redemption within his unexplainable grace.

Should you be a believer, may we be of people who stand in faith in the storms. May we not forget his goodness and blame him for the repercussions of the fall. He is ever faithful, we are never faithful. May we sit in his goodness and inquire only of ourselves in regards to our faithfulness when we fail to see his.

May the Word move in you, and through you.

To Him be the glory.

-Matt Allen