Two-minute read.
When bad things happen, people ask, “Why did God allow this?” We ignore the fact that sin entered the world thousands of years ago, and many of the “bad” things that occur come from it. The Lord doesn’t send temptation; He sends help. Jesus came to save the lost and give us victory over our sin, the Creator’s greatest gift to us. God also gave us free will to choose who we follow and how we live. Many people don’t choose the Savior, living for self instead, and allowing their sin nature to rule the roost.
Watching “Eden,” a movie inspired by actual events in 1929, a writer and his wife isolate themselves on an island in the Galapagos. From letters written to his homeland in Germany, others learn and decide to follow. A family of three and a baroness and her crew ascend on the island. As the story unfolds, we see the effects of sin in humanity as they allow primal emotions to rule their actions, denying God’s existence. Thievery, lying, cheating, and eventually murder ensue on an island paradise created by the Lord.
The Lord didn’t want those things to happen; people chose them. God created an island paradise, and humanity destroyed it with their sinful desires. As in the original garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had everything they could ever desire, yet they still ate of the forbidden fruit, not the Creator’s desire for them, but their desire for themselves. And now we have sin in the world, a battle we all must fight.
However, if we did not have free will, we could not love. God understands He can’t force people to love and follow Him; we must choose it. And if we don’t have the choice, we can’t love. Every day, the Lord sends His gifts to us: breath in our lungs, food in our bellies, roofs over our heads, every good and perfect gift comes from above. The Creator gives us kind and helpful gifts, not destructiveness. No evil comes attached to the Lord’s blessings. We can accept God’s offerings and acknowledge His goodness with gratitude. None of us deserves the grace and mercy the Almighty gives us. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross paid the price for our sins; He got what we deserved so we could have a relationship with the Father.
Christ, God’s greatest gift to humanity, didn’t bring chaos; He brought love. Knowing what He had to do, Jesus took His place on the cross so we wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for our sin. Following the Savior will help us become more like Him, understanding His goodness and the gift of love He offers.
Journal Questions:
Why do you think bad things happen in life?
How do you think of God’s gifts in your life?
What do you consider God’s greatest gift and why?
Application:
Recognize God as the source.
