If God is Good, Why Are Bad Things Happening?

God is good why does bad stuff happen is a logical question. Those who think logically may assume that those who say God is good are in a special category. Or, that they’ve only experienced good things in their life. The truth is God’s character of goodness, grace, favor, faithfulness, and love isn’t often seen as intimately during the good times.

It’s seen more intimately through the dark and uncomfortable times in our lives. Meaning, yes, we can see God is good when good things are happening. We often take it for granted. However, when bad things are happening, God is closer and more unique in showing his goodness.

We have to be aware and sensitive to see him working beyond our heart-wrenching experiences. People that say God is good and know it for themselves; are people who have walked with God through some things. They’ve learned that God has high standards yet is merciful enough to give us the grace to meet those standards as we grow in him.

This is displayed in the first story of the Bible in the garden of Eden. God gave Adam and Eve a command they did not live up to. God’s response was to make provision for Adam, Eve, and all mankind. Due to sin in the garden, death was introduced to humanity. However, God created a path for us to have everlasting life by sending his son.

God’s Goodness Always Makes Provision for Us

God’s provision was promised shortly after the mishap in the garden when God promised that a seed of the woman would bruise Satan’s head (Genesis 3:15.) This scripture was speaking prophetically of Jesus Christ who came through a woman named Mary.

This same characteristic of God showing provision for mankind is throughout the scriptures. Man’s free will and lack of maturity in various areas get him in trouble over and over again and like a patient father; we see the Lord consistently making provision in his great love toward us:

• Cain, killed his brother Able and God showed him grace by placing a mark on him so that no one would kill him. This is one of the first examples of God showing grace because, under the old covenant, an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth was the law. Cain should have died for killing his brother but God’s provision of mercy allowed him to live.
•  Abraham and Sarah attempted to fulfill God’s promise on their own by having Abraham sleep with Hagar producing Ishmael. God made provision for Ishmael making a great nation of him as well—and still yet fulfilled his promise through Isaac.
• Hagar was a slave servant in Abraham and Sarah’s house. When she attempted to leave the abuse from her masters; God made provision for her by sending an angel to meet her and instruct her in the wilderness.
• When Joseph was abused by his brothers and sold into slavery; God made provision for Joseph. We know the story. He promoted Joseph to be a ruler and used what was bad in his household for good.
• When Esther’s parents died and she became an orphan; God made provision for her sending her elder cousin Mordecai to raise her and train her to be a future queen.
• When David sinned with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah; God made provision for David to be confronted and corrected. After David humbled himself—God gave him a son, Solomon, to sit on his throne. Later, Jesus Christ would symbolically be called the seed of David carrying on a heavenly kingship for those who trust in him.

God’s Character of Goodness & Great Love Can be Seen in Bad Circumstances

What am I saying? I’m saying just as some of the above stories show negative experiences endured by those who trusted in the Lord. Some, even by their own doing, God’s character of goodness and great love was seen in the middle of it. God worked in each negative experience for those who trusted in him.

Just as God worked for the above who trusted in him. God is at work for those of us who trust in him now. Even through bad circumstances, we can say God is good. Some may have experienced loved ones dying young, overdoses, alcohol poisoning, suicide, murder, sickness, and countless other difficult things.

It doesn’t matter what the hard circumstance is—God’s character of great love toward us causes him to make provision for us and our loved ones in the middle of hardship. God’s character is good. It doesn’t change. It’s always his posture toward us.

But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

 A Hardened Heart is a Natural Result of not Seeing God Properly

A hardened heart toward life and God will make it difficult to trust him. The Bible warns that the cares of this life can cause our hearts to become hardened and choke the seeds of the Word of God that have been planted inside of us.

This is why it’s so important to have the right perspective of God because it guards against a hardened heart toward him. I believe the Lord is patient with us through our hardness of heart. I believe his consistent character of goodness will draw us into a soft heart again. It’s the goodness of the Lord that ultimately leads to repentance which is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.

Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? – Romans 2:4

This is also the goodness of the Lord . The Bible says where sin did abound grace much more abounds. This is because of God’s consistent provision of goodness and steadfast love toward us.

Bad things happen because sin entered the world through Adam and Eve.  However, God is good because he’s delivered us from the pain of the suffering in this fallen world by making provision that heals and delivers us from the pain by trusting in Jesus Christ.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. – 1 John 4:9-10

The Bible describes a deep depth of God’s love. It goes beyond the surface of how things appear. Pray that God would open your eyes and allow you to see his goodness consistently. He can begin to restore a heart of flesh inside of those who’ve allowed their hearts to become hardened through life.

When we say God is good; We say it because we live it every day.