Is God good when life Isn't? Part 2

So, when tragedies strike, where is God? Was the calamity God’s idea? Of course not! God never creates or parlays evil. “God can never do wrong! It is impossible for the Almighty to do evil…” (Job 34:10 also James 1:17) He is the essence of good . How can he who is good invent anything bad? And he is sovereign! (Daniel 5:21) God is good. God is sovereign. Then how are we to factor in the presence of
 calamities in God’s world? 

     Here is how the Bible does it: God permits it. When the demons begged Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs, he “gave them permission” (Mark 5:12-13) The old testament speaks of the consequence of accidentally killing a person: “If [the man] does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate.” (Exodus 21:13) 

     God at times permits tragedies. He permits the ground to grow and dry, and stalks to grow bare. He allows Satan to unleash mayhem. But he doesn't allow Satan to triumph. (Romans 8:28) God promises to render beauty out of “all things," not "each thing". The isolated events may be evil, but
 the ultimate culmination is good.

     Look at Job and his life… we see that Job was inflicted with much… all but one of his servants died, his his oxen, donkeys, and camels, were stolen, the sheep and servants were burned up, and all of his sons and daughters were killed. However, through it all, we see that Job says, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21) it even says, "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." (vs. 22) It didn't stop there... Job's health starts to go downhill, when "Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sold of his foot to the
 crown of his head." (Job 2:7)
He told his wife in verse 10, "...Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips." In the end, Job said, "Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job repented for questioning God, and God restored him, and blessed him. (42:12-17)
We must let God define good. Our definition includes health, comfort, and recognition. His definition? In the case of His son, Jesus Christ, the good life consisted of struggles, storms, and death. But God worked it all together for the greatest of good: His glory and our salvation.
At some point we all stand at this intersection. Is God good when the outcome is not?
Your pain won't last forever, but you will. "Whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future God has in store for us." (Romans 8:18)
What is coming will make sense of what is happening now. Let God finish his work. Let the composer complete his symphony. The forecast is simple. Good days. Bad days. But God is in ALL days. He is the Lord of the famine and the feast, and he uses both to accomplish His will. So, yes, God is still good, when life isn't! :) Have a blessed week!