Post by Betty on Jan 26, 2005 6:59:22 GMT -5
Author: Woodrow Kroll
Job 34:10
"Therefore listen to me, you men
of understanding: Far be it from God
to do wickedness, and from the Almighty
to commit iniquity."
Don’t Blame God
A man was handing out business cards that read,
"Federman and Coe, Merchants." When asked about
his partner the man admitted there was no such
person. "Then why do you have the name on your
card?" someone wanted to know. "Well, you see,"
the man replied, "if something goes wrong I just
blame it on Coe. That way I get out of trouble
easily."
Three of Job’s friends were suggesting the same.
As they saw it, God was responsible for all the
evil that had befallen Job. Even though they
suspected some hidden sin in Job’s life, his
troubles still came down to a smear on God’s
character. But Elihu, Job’s fourth friend,
objected to such a charge. God does not commit
wickedness, even if some might consider it
justified. Admittedly, we have the benefit of
seeing behind the scenes and knowing that it was
Satan who committed these acts of iniquity. But
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar could have realized
the same if they had truly understood God’s
nature.
Christians are good at blaming God when things go
wrong. If a child dies, it’s God’s fault. If the
house burns down, it’s God’s fault. Such
accusations cannot be true. God permits bad
things to happen, but He doesn’t cause them.
Sometimes things happen because of our own
carelessness or sinfulness. Other times they
happen because of the forces of evil in the
world. But God is not to blame. James says,
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning" (James 1:17). We may not understand much
about God, but there is one thing we can know for
certain: There is no "dark side" to God.
Don’t blame the Lord for your troubles. They come
as a result of sin in this world. Confess to God
any anger or bitterness you might feel for what
you’ve experienced in life. Then ask Jesus to
heal your wounds and make you whole.
God permits, but He never commits.
____________________________________________________________
Job 34:10
"Therefore listen to me, you men
of understanding: Far be it from God
to do wickedness, and from the Almighty
to commit iniquity."
Don’t Blame God
A man was handing out business cards that read,
"Federman and Coe, Merchants." When asked about
his partner the man admitted there was no such
person. "Then why do you have the name on your
card?" someone wanted to know. "Well, you see,"
the man replied, "if something goes wrong I just
blame it on Coe. That way I get out of trouble
easily."
Three of Job’s friends were suggesting the same.
As they saw it, God was responsible for all the
evil that had befallen Job. Even though they
suspected some hidden sin in Job’s life, his
troubles still came down to a smear on God’s
character. But Elihu, Job’s fourth friend,
objected to such a charge. God does not commit
wickedness, even if some might consider it
justified. Admittedly, we have the benefit of
seeing behind the scenes and knowing that it was
Satan who committed these acts of iniquity. But
Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar could have realized
the same if they had truly understood God’s
nature.
Christians are good at blaming God when things go
wrong. If a child dies, it’s God’s fault. If the
house burns down, it’s God’s fault. Such
accusations cannot be true. God permits bad
things to happen, but He doesn’t cause them.
Sometimes things happen because of our own
carelessness or sinfulness. Other times they
happen because of the forces of evil in the
world. But God is not to blame. James says,
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning" (James 1:17). We may not understand much
about God, but there is one thing we can know for
certain: There is no "dark side" to God.
Don’t blame the Lord for your troubles. They come
as a result of sin in this world. Confess to God
any anger or bitterness you might feel for what
you’ve experienced in life. Then ask Jesus to
heal your wounds and make you whole.
God permits, but He never commits.
____________________________________________________________
