{"id":578,"date":"2017-10-05T08:30:34","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T16:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/randyalcorn\/?p=578"},"modified":"2017-10-09T05:41:14","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T13:41:14","slug":"problem-evil-suffering-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/randyalcorn\/2017\/10\/problem-evil-suffering-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"The Problem of Evil and Suffering in Las Vegas and Elsewhere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"woman-pray-las-vegas-tragedy-patheos\"<\/p>\n

Words are sadly inadequate as a response to all the recent natural disasters, and this week we had to face the added dimension of human evil in the Las Vegas murders. This isn\u2019t the first time, and won\u2019t be the last, that we who are Jesus-followers either ask or are asked by others, \u201cHow can a good and loving God allow such tragedies?\u201d<\/p>\n

When tragedies come, our thinking may quickly become confused, even distorted. In this\u00a0eight-minute video<\/a>\u00a0interview with Greg Laurie, I share a perspective on suffering when we\u2019re in the very thick of it.<\/p>\n

You cannot resolve the problem of evil and suffering in this lifetime. Present suffering must be seen in light of the promises of God in eternity. Here\u2019s a\u00a0five-minute video<\/a>\u00a0where I explain this further.<\/p>\n

We wonder, \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t God do more to restrain evil and suffering?\u201d Severe suffering seems unacceptable to us because we\u2019re unaccustomed to it, and also because we draw wrong conclusions about God. I personally believe God restrains the great majority of evil and suffering that we would have to face in this world without His intervention. Here are further insights in two parts:<\/p>\n

Restrain Evil Part 1<\/a><\/p>\n

Restrain Evil Part 2<\/a><\/p>\n

Even when the pain seems pointless,\u00a0we can still learn to trust God<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I appreciated this article from Desiring God:\u00a0One Day Never Again (May Heaven Fall on Las Vegas)<\/a><\/p>\n

One late-night\u00a0television host<\/a>\u00a0lamented that \u201cthis shooting feels like someone has opened a window into hell.\u201d\u00a0He\u2019s tapped into at least one truth\u2014the evil prince of darkness certainly had a hand in this tragedy. But God does not turn His back on hurting people. He sees. He knows. When Hagar tried to flee trouble, the Lord spoke to her and she recognized Him as \u201cthe God who sees\u201d (Genesis 16:13<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Song-writer Jeremy Camp\u00a0put it this way:<\/a>\u00a0\u201cWe may faint and we may sink; Feel the pain and near the brink; But the dark begins to shrink when you find the One who knows\u2026Every hurt and every sting; He has walked the suffering; He knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u2019s Word has much to say on suffering because He experienced the greatest suffering imaginable on the cross for you and for me. I can\u2019t think of a better way to end than to share Scripture to meditate on:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed\u201d (Lamentations 3:47-48<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: \u2018Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.\u2019 You came near when I called you, and you said, \u2018Do not fear'\u201d (Lamentations 3:55-57<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cBlessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted\u201d (Matthew 5:4<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cHe heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds\u201d (Psalm 147:3<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I am afraid, I put my trust in you\u201d (Psalm 56:3<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cCast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken\u201d (Psalm 55:22<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good\u201d (Romans 12:21<\/a>).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Further resources that might be helpful:<\/p>\n

If God Is Good<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

90 Days of God\u2019s Goodness<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The Goodness of God<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

If God Is Good, Why Do We Hurt?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Photo by\u00a0Ben White<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Unsplash<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This isn\u2019t the first time, and won\u2019t be the last, that we who are Jesus-followers either ask or are asked by others, \u201cHow can a good and loving God allow such tragedies?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2661,"featured_media":579,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[72,71,150],"class_list":["post-578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-suffering-and-evil","tag-evil","tag-suffering","tag-tragedies"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Problem of Evil and Suffering in Las Vegas and Elsewhere<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This isn\u2019t the first time, and won\u2019t be the last, that we who are Jesus-followers either ask or are asked by others, \u201cHow can a good and loving God allow such tragedies?\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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