I write this post from the 15th floor of my hotel over looking the Atlantic Ocean. Last night when I got here I walked out on the balcony to see what I could see. I saw a flock of seagulls floating on the undulating blue carpet of the sea. I felt a gentle ocean breeze blowing on my face. I observed the sun rise over that same blue carpet turning into a vision of liquid gold. The ripples on the sand washed new with shells and debris indicate the gentle motion of the sea. All of this is at the impulse of the Creator's hand.
I've also seen this same costline ravaged by a grumpy tyrant of a storm named Hugo. In only a few hours time that same dark blue carpet I saw last night was transformed into a dark torrent of water. I've also seen the aftermath of another storm named Katrina. In those gulf waters where I used to fish and experience the same kinds of intimate details of the Creator's work that I experienced here last night I have also experienced her fury. I am absolute amazed that life can change so quickly and what many call Mother Nature in her transitions is but the hand of the Creator shaping and moving His creation.
Here we are, again, with the problem of evil (more specifically: Why do bad things happen to God's people?)...With passages like Psalm 107:25 "He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea" and verse 27, "He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed", how are we to understand our Creator? Does he send both good and bad? That would make Creator inconsistent at best and ill-intentioned at worst. This understanding can't be correct because James tells us that the Creator is "the Father of lights in whom there is no variation and that all good and perfect gifts comes down from Him..."(James 1:17).
Should we blame God for evil or bad things? Certainly not! God would cease to be God if he were inconsistent with himself. We know from Scripture and from life experience that God is good and has, indeed, given us every good and perfect gift. The problem of evil, then, must be laid at someone else's feet. Satan is not the Father of lights and the giver of good and perfect gifts. He is, rather, the Father of lies and the one who seeks to kill, steal and destroy. Yet, this ancient foe is limited by space and time. He is not omnipresent. He does not know everything and though he has power that is real and dangerous, it is limited. So what of natural disasters like a Hugo or Katrina?
The Scripture teaches us that Sin entered the world through Adam in the garden of Eden and from that time through the present, its effects have deepened and broaded so that all of creation is infected by it. Paul says that the whole creation groans unders the weight of sin eagerly awaiting its release (Rom. 8). That being said, we understand that evil is not a created thing handed to us by the Creator as some cosmic balance to existence. Rather, we see that evil is the privation of good, the warping of creation so that God is not responsible for the formation of evil - Satan is. From that day evil entered into our world, God's creation, it has intensified and will continue to do so until the end of time.
Natural disasters, sinful acts and thoughts, terrible behavior, murders and thefts and all the like will continue to exist and intensify because the whole world is careening toward the inevitability of destruction. All the while, the Creator who is merciful and longs to see his creation give him due glory, is doning the hat of Redeemer and plucking sinful beings, one by one, from the inevitable end of sin - death.
So....while I live in a fallen world touched by sin and evil, tainted on every corner, I can still gain assurance of the Creator's plan when I see the simple beauty of a sunrise over the sea or seaguls floating on the sea. I can see his plan in the aftermath of destruction and mayhem. I can see His beauty and experience his grace. I can do all of these things because in the midst of the bad, he has walked with me every step of the way.

All the discussion about forgiveness and certain circumstances that have taken place in my life in recent time has me pondering this question: Why do bad things happen to God's people? You may wonder why the topic of forgiveness might cause me to wonder this, but forgiveness is intrinsically tied to the reason for our need of forgiveness - namely sin. Most theologians believe that sin was introduced into the world by Satan; thereby, causing the problem of evil in the world. All of humanity since Adam and Eve (with the exception of Jesus) has been infected with this problem of sin - hence the neeed for forgiveness. Once forgiveness is offered (and it has been through the cross of Christ) then why do bad things / sinful things continue to happen?
Because evil is present in the world and increasing in its scope and power, it is only logical to consider that God's people will be caught up in it to varying degrees. Christian people are not immune to the effects of sin. I wish someone would tell my favorite television preachers this. Ultimately, God vanquishes sin and reigns victorious over all creation. In real time, God gives his children whatever they need to endure hardship and overcome temptation that leads to sin. We live in a fallen world and we must wrestle with this question: Why do bad things happen to God's people?

Often times I've heard people say, "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission." I've even said this from time to time. What that phrase means is to go ahead and do what you want to and you'll probably be able to get out of any unpleasant consequences if you handle yourself properly. The phrase operates on the assumption that forgiveness is offered regardless of what you do. That might seem like a good life philosophy, but reality tells us that consequences are not always forgiven when we do what we want. The Christian faith operates like this: You are forgiven, now you are free to do what God would have you do. Rather than brashly moving forward with our own agenda in the hope that forgiveness may come, we operate out of the forgiveness we've been given through Christ and we are free to do God's will rather than act in bondage to sin. Forgiveness is an already completed reality for the follower of Christ. We are as forgiven as we will ever be and with that knowledge comes great freedom to live the Christian life. Let me encourage you to appropriate God's forgiveness by faith and live in the moment by moment reality of God's forgiveness. You'll be glad you did!

One important aspect of forgiveness is that it was initiated by God, himself. He didn't have to acknowledge our existence let alone our sinfulness, but he did. He took it upon himself to provide a means for our salvation, i.e. our forgiveness. What would life be like if all Christ followers took that same attitude? What if we initiated forgiveness to those who wronged us? That is exactly what we are to do. We are to take the lead in offering forgiveness to those who have offended. We are never more like Jesus than when we offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged us or to someone who doesn't deserve it. In fact, if we fail to extend forgiveness, we couldn't be more unlike Jesus. Jesus went so far as to say that God would forgive us if forgive others and that he would not forgive us if we did not forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15). Let me encourage you to examine your life. Do you find any grudges against others or an unwillingness to forgive? If you do, take the initiative and go forgive someone. You'll be glad you did. Blessings!