Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Why Do I Believe in God in a Suffering World? - Apples of Gold - May 14, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for May 14, 2008

“Why Do I Believe in God in a Suffering World?”


Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Many people don’t believe in God because of all the suffering in the world.

They would rather believe in no God at all than believe in a God that would allow so much evil and pain.

I think that’s a legitimate point.  If God is so powerful and God is so loving, why does He allow people to suffer?

Some people say it’s because we have free will, and some people use their free will to hurt others.  But if every human was made perfect right now, we would still suffer through natural disasters.  And if we found a way to protect everyone from that, there is still the suffering that comes when people die.

There is simply a brokenness that runs through all of creation.  It allows people to choose evil.  It allows mayhem in nature.  It allows things to decay.  And it allows death.

Why does God allow it?  You’d think He could just wave His hand and fix it.  We could all just live in a state of perfect bliss from now on, forever and ever.

My thinking backs me into a corner.  Okay, so what if we rule out God because of these things.  How do I explain my existence?  Many turn to big bangs and primordial soups, but I just think that’s silly. 

Take this notion that we evolved from monkeys.  If that’s so, then evolution is stupid.  Look at a monkey’s feet, then look at ours.  Which are more useful?  And who thought it was better that we have no tail?  And look at how fast monkeys get around.  Have you seen a monkey in the zoo just fly around that cage?  Who wouldn’t want that?  Why did evolution evolve away so many cool things? 

And if evolution is true, why wouldn’t we still have gills?  What was evolution thinking when it did away with the gills?  That we would never go back in the water?

I’m saying, if evolution means keeping the best features and shedding the rest, then give me the gills, give me the wings, give me the tail, give me the extra hands instead of feet, give me the speed.  I want to soar through the trees and land on my feet and fly to the sky and change colors with my background and sleep all winter.

Why did evolution take it all away?

Of course it’s silly.  And I realize I’m sidestepping all the science, but what I’m looking for is common sense.   I don’t believe in evolution because if it really works that way, humans would have kept all those awesome traits.

So I’m back in the corner.  How do I explain my existence?  Well, my thinking returns to God.  And I open my Bible and search for answers.

In Genesis 2:9 we read about “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  I don’t know why there has to be evil.  Why can’t there just be good?  I don’t know, and I wish it wasn’t so, but there it is. 

Evil is mentioned before Adam and Eve commit their first sin.  When the serpent tempted Eve, surely that was a sin on the serpent’s part.  So sin and evil must have existed before Eve ate from the tree. 

So there is God, the creator, who is good and holy and righteous.  And then there is sin and evil, and we see those forces at work in the serpent.

Why did God allow it?  I have no idea.  I am just trying to figure out the what, because the why seems unreachable.

So Adam and Eve go ahead and sin.  First Corinthians 15:21 says, “death came through a man,” and verse 22 says, “…in Adam all die…” 

We all know that we all die.  And the Bible tells us the source of death:  Adam’s sin.  And through Adam’s sin, something like a genetic flaw was introduced into all creation. 

This genetic flaw brought death, and also decay.  Romans 8 says that the creation itself is in bondage to decay. 

It’s as if, there in the Garden of Eden, sin and evil and death and decay came knocking, and Adam and Eve said, “Come on in”

Sure, some say it’s a fairy tale.  But what’s their explanation?  And where are my gills and wings? 

To me, it makes sense.  I see that jagged tear running through the fabric of creation.

What explains people hurting other people?  I think sin is a great explanation.  We are born in sin.  We have evil desires.  Jesus said evil comes from inside of us, out of our hearts.

And to make matters worse, the Bible talks about evil spirits.  First John 5:19 says, “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”  

Ephesians 6:12 says there are “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

Revelation 12:9 describes Satan as the one “who leads the whole world astray.” 

It’s easy to see that the whole world is astray, and I can easily buy the explanation that it’s due to evil desires within and evil beings without.  Call it fantasy if you want, but to me it sure explains a few things.

But that’s not the end of the story.  Revelation 3:14 says that Jesus is the “ruler of God’s creation.”  

Hebrews 2:8 says that, yes, right now not everything is subject to the Lord, but that day is coming. 

First Corinthians 15:24 says, “Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” 

And finally, as verse 26 says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

Yes, this is a broken world, and I don’t know why God allows it.  But when I came to Christ myself, His forgiveness and redemption changed the course of my life.  I believe what the Bible says, and it’s more than just a brainwashing.  There is a living hope inside me that there is life after death, and that God, though mysterious, is working all of this toward a wonderful conclusion.

That is the reason for the hope that I have. 

And that is why I believe in God in a suffering world.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
 
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here:  http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one:  douglas_apple@msn.com

(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for
Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

-vi-

No comments: