Dave Earley - 21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People

2007 by David Earley

Print ISBN 978-1-60260-219-9

eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62836-147-6
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-62836-148-3

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the H OLY B IBLE , N EW I NTERNATIONAL Version. niv. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked nrsv are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The author is represented by literary agent Les Stobbe.

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683 www.barbourbooks.com

Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

Printed in the United States of America.

Thanks to the great team of people who made this project a joy:

Cathy, for being my traveling companion these past twenty-six years, for being such an encouragement, and for praying over, editing, and proofing every word.

Luke, Andrew, and Daniel, for letting me tell some of your stories and for making me proud.

Carol, for your amazing prayers and support.

Sandy, for modeling perseverance in affliction.

Steve, for being my favorite brother.

Rod Bradley, Dave Jackson, Paul Coppel, and the other mighty men, for your prayers and encouragement.

Terry Faulkenberry, Dave Martin, and Frank Carl, you have helped pastor us in our transition.

Jim, Joan Angus, Dan Mitchell, Matt Chittum, Sujo John, and Saint Bert, for permitting me to tell your stories.

Dave Wheeler, Rebecca Autry, Neil Grobler, Juan Dugan, David Brinkley, Becky Mahle, Julie Moore, Allen Anjo, and Chelsea Burkhalter, you are wonderful LCMT teammates.

Elmer Towns, one day I might catch up with you.

Paul Muckley, you are a joy to work with.

Les Stobbe, for opening the door.

Kelly Williams, for managing the in-house process, and Yolanda Chumney, for handling the typesetting.

I havent prayed in over a year.Every time I try to pray, I run headfirst into the same big, black wall: Why? Why did God let this happen?

A senior at a Christian college, I was also the supervisor for a dorm of young men. As the new school year began, we had joined together with a girls dorm for a coed hall meeting. You need to understand that this was a fairly strict Christian college, so a coed hall meeting was an exciting event. The guys saw it as a low-key way to meet a lot of girls.

Afterward, all the guys were energized, especially the freshmen. That is, all the guys were excited but one. His name was Jim. He was in tears. I sat down next to him and asked, Whats wrong?

Nothing, he said, trying to brush back the tears.

Somethings wrong, I said. Tell me.

He began to choke on tears as he answered, I prayed tonight.

I was thinking, Why is praying such a momentous event? This is a Christian college, and we did have everyone say a prayer as part of the program. So, we all did, I said.

Yeah, he answered. But thats the first time Ive prayed in over a year.

Jim went on to tell me his story. He had grown up in a strong Christian family and had previously done well spiritually, praying daily. He had come to a Christian college because he wanted to become a pastor. Yet for the past year he had had no relationship with God. He had no faith. He had nothing inside but empty, hollow bitterness and doubt. Every time he tried to pray, one big ugly word blocked it out. Why? Why? Why?

What had happened to turn him from God?

My older sister is the best person I have ever known. She loved God, was involved in everything at church. She never did anything wrong, he explained.

A little more than a year ago, some man got ahold of her. He beat her up and viciously raped her, Jim said through clenched teeth.

She is the best person and the best Christian I know, he sobbed. Then he gulped on tears and looked at me. Why did God allow this to happen? Why does God allow such terrible things to happen to good people?

I have to admit I really did not know what to say. How would you answer his question? What do you say in the face of such pain?

Why do bad things happen to good people? Its a question we all ask. Every day in the newspaper we read the tragic tales of suffering, pain, and evil on planet Earth. Horribly bad things happen to very good people. Men with large families and women who are single moms lose their jobs. People get cancer. There are devastating floods and fires, hurricanes and tornadoes. Babies die or are born with crippling diseases. People are robbed, mugged, raped, abused, and murdered. In some parts of the world, Christians are tortured for their faith.

Why do such bad things happen to good people? It is a question that easily can become a great source of bitterness in our lives or in the lives of people we love.

Pain, suffering, and evil are relentless realities that will not go away until we are in heaven. Until then, what are we to do and think when bad things happen to good people?

This book is an attempt to answer Jims question, Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? It is a biblical study of potential benefits that come into our lives through suffering. It discusses twenty-one possible reasons bad things happen to good people. It is designed to be informative, inspiring, and encouraging. I hope reading it will nourish your faith so you can face the inevitable distress, the despair, the doubts, and the darkness that will confront your soul when you are hit with devastating hardship. But before we begin, let me frame our discussion by reminding you of several important truths.

. God is under no obligation to give us an explanation for suffering.

Some say they dont want to believe in a god unless they can figure him out. But I have discovered that a god I can completely comprehend is no God at all. I am glad that the God I worship, the God I serve, the God I trust in the midst of suffering, pain, and evil is bigger than I can totally understand.