Need Help? Call Now

Question 17

Q: I have a question about God’s will. I’ve heard you say that, as humans, we often carry burdens God never intended us to bear.

Do you mean to tell me that the disasters going on in the world today are all by Him? Does He do evil?

Asked by: Anonymous, Ohio


A: Well, my friend, I’m so glad for your questions. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover here, so let’s get started!

The first question: do we sometimes bear burdens that God does not want us to bear? The answer is: yes. In Matthew 6, Jesus says that God takes care of the birds and the grass, and He’ll certainly take care of us. So yes, I’m afraid that our anxieties often overwhelm us when God is available and willing to bear our burdens.

Your second question is about natural disasters. And the answer to that question is also yes. God takes responsibility for natural disasters. It’s very clear that, whether it’s the darkness during the times of the plague, or Jesus stilling the storm on Galilee, throughout the Bible, you have God involved in the convulsions of nature.

Does He do these directly? Well, perhaps not. He does them indirectly because the earth is fallen. Of course, He could choose to not let them happen. So in that sense, everything is traceable to God.

And that ties into your next question: does God do evil? And the answer to that question is no. God does not do evil. That involves a huge discussion, doesn’t it? But God is able to run His universe in such a way that the things that happen in the universe do happen, and oftentimes evil happens that He does not stop, and yet He remains blameless.

God remains blameless for two reasons. First of all, He is God, so He runs things according to His particular rules and outlook. But secondly, He does not do the evil, even though it may be used as a part of His plan. I know that’s a philosophical and theological conundrum, if I can use that phrase, but both of those things are taught in Scripture. Human beings are responsible for evil, and yet God rules among the inhabitants of the earth.

One final thought. Because God is sovereign over all things, including the earth, that’s one further reason why we can trust Him with everything. Since our lives are clearly in His hands, let’s acknowledge that and trust Him all the more! To get to the heart of your question: we must trust him even in the midst of natural disasters. That’s not easy to do but even then He does not leave us or forsake us.

Scripture references

  • Matthew 6

Related Materials

Search