Why
do bad things happen to good people? In the Bible sometimes the good guy loses—or
at least it appears that way at the moment. You will never lose by following
God, even if it looks like failure from a human point of view. Here are 6
examples of the “good guy” losing. Interestingly, all names start with the
letter J.
1. Jonathan was David’s best
friend and was killed in battle by the bad guys, the Philistines (1 Samuel
31:2). The good guy died. Jonathan was King Saul’s son and was heir to the
throne, but his death allowed David to become king.
We
tend to think everyone is guaranteed 70 years of life but we aren’t guaranteed
the next day (see James 4:13-15). Sometimes innocent people die at young ages and
God doesn’t explain why. Jonathan is an example of young man who loved God but
died seemingly too soon.
2. John the Baptist was thrown into
prison for speaking truth and Herod had him beheaded (Mark 6:27). Speaking God’s
truth will sometimes result in being persecuted and martyred. He was not a
failure but Jesus said he was the greatest prophet (Matt. 11:11).
3. Josiah was a good king but was
killed in a battle he shouldn’t have been fighting (2 Chron. 35:20-24). What
can we learn from this? Don’t fight battles that God hasn’t called you to
fight.
4. Joseph was betrayed and sold
into slavery, then was falsely accused and thrown in prison. The Bible says “the
Lord was with him” even though his circumstances didn’t look that way. God used
his adverse circumstances to get him to the right place and then promoted him to be a ruler in Egypt.
5. James, the brother of John, was imprisoned and put to death with a sword,
while Peter was imprisoned and miraculously set free (Acts 12:1-10). Why did
God send an angel to set Peter free but not James? God doesn’t have the same plan
for everyone so stop comparing your situation with those who seem to have it
better.
6. Jesus was sinless but was
betrayed, falsely accused, and crucified. God’s plan wasn’t thwarted. He became
the Savior and paid for the sins of the world, was resurrected from the dead,
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right of God the Father.
Sometimes
the “good guy and gal” have bad things happen to them, but if you are submitted
to the Lord, He always has the last word. Through His amazing sovereignty He
will overrule the injustice and use it for His purposes. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net
NEW BIBLE
STUDY: Who
was the man wearing the linen sheet in Gethsemane?
Making Life Count Ministries
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