Why bad things happen
I just finished reading The Screwtape Letters, which is an amazing book by the way, and it opened my eyes to a new idea I've never even thought of before: people always ask, "well if God loves us so much, then why does He let wars or natural disasters happen?" I never really knew how to answer that, but after reading that book I came across this bible verse, and I found an answer.
One possible reason for natural disasters or wars could be for God to reveal the importance of courage. Think about it: Satan tries to make us dull, cowardly believers, so as to kind of halt the expansion of God's kingdom. So if we have courage, it's the exact opposite of what he wants. However, he doesnt realize that every time something bad happens in our lives, we are sort of forced to obtain these qualities. It says in the book that in a time of peace, people often forget about whats 'right or wrong' so God will use a situation to force people to decide. Obviously, God doesnt create bad things, but just like satan, he can use things to his advantage. which is just more proof of a living and active God! :)
One possible reason for natural disasters or wars could be for God to reveal the importance of courage. Think about it: Satan tries to make us dull, cowardly believers, so as to kind of halt the expansion of God's kingdom. So if we have courage, it's the exact opposite of what he wants. However, he doesnt realize that every time something bad happens in our lives, we are sort of forced to obtain these qualities. It says in the book that in a time of peace, people often forget about whats 'right or wrong' so God will use a situation to force people to decide. Obviously, God doesnt create bad things, but just like satan, he can use things to his advantage. which is just more proof of a living and active God! :)
