Would a Good God...?        
     
   Yesterday we wrote of high-mag earthquake potential in the Midwest. This weekend, a strong tropical storm made landfall south of the same region. Imagine an earthquake and serious floods occurring the same day. 

   Atheists and other doubters ask, "Why would a good God allow such misery for people he supposedly created for his pleasure?" Is there an answer?
 

The Terrible Ten

 earthquake           forest fire

avalanche          tornado

 hurricane          drought

      lightning         heat wave

        hail        flood  

   Add to that: disease, poisonous snakes, gators and crocs, rabid animals and hazardous mosquitoes. We humans suffer birth defects, mental problems, allergies, accidents and terrible things we do to each other.

   This week we saw a young woman at the gym with tattoos up and down both arms and both legs. She didn't need tattoos to look good. Many of us create our little heaven on earth with better hairdos, teeth, sharp clothing and face lifts. Those of us who are able, make our homes our personal castles.

   If we would heed him, God tells us to stop trusting in man (Isaiah 2:22), and instead to hope in the Lord for our (inner) strength (Isaiah 40:31). 

   Esther was beautiful. Saul was handsome. Our Lord in human form was neither. Voluntarily suffering for our sake, his face was disfigured beyond human likeness (Isaiah 53:2), and they hung him to die. 

   So, who of us will experience worse on earth than Jesus?   

   Earth is not heaven. After the Tribulation, there will be a thousand-year period when the risen Jesus apparently will show us what could have been after He created the world. Then the saved will know true glory. 

   

   Hell must be worse than the terrible ten all happening on the same day. 
Our good God might be speaking to us through the storms.  

       Jimmy