My answer is hard to conceive in the midst of pain, catastrophes, suffering, and apparent losses. I understand, and I hear your concern if you are one of the ones asking the questions I listed above.
THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS IN GOD'S UNIVERSE
I want you to hear me well.
1) Nothing is perfect in this world. Everything is imperfect, broken, messed-up. It doesn't matter how well you perform, how well you eat, how healthy you are, your genes, how much money you make, how careful you are, this world is IMPERFECT. So called accidents, unexpected events will happen.
2) Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. Yes! The sun shines on the good and the bad. The rain falls on the good and the bad. Tornadoes happen to good and bad people alike. Flooding, storms, weather conditions, natural disasters happen to good and bad people alike.
"This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty." (Matthew 5:45-47 - The Message)
3) There are consequences to actions.
A lot of what happens in this broken world is the result of cause and affect, BUT NOT ALL!
People who are walking around telling others, "Well, that happens to bad people!," are not speaking for God. The prosperity theology is not from God. The cause and effect theology is not from God. It's real life. Life is brutal sometimes.
If you work harder, you may make more money than someone who only works a few hours. BUT NOT ALWAYS!
You save money you will will have more money than someone who spends every penny that comes to their pockets. BUT NOT ALWAYS!
If you eat healthy food, you may be healthier than your neighbor who eats junk food all day long. BUT NOT ALWAYS!
If you smoke you have a higher chance to catch cancer of the lung. BUT NOT ALWAYS!
Back to my original thought. This world is broken and unpredictable.
I say, do your best. Choose the healthier path for your life. Love your family. Love your spouse. Save money for rainy days. Don't waste your life in nothing. Have a purpose. Do your best. Why? Because there is a cause and effect in many areas of life. BUT NOT ALWAYS! Be ready for the unexpected.
4) There is one Bible verse that throws light on my main thought tonight.
"And we know that IN ALL THINGS (Good and bad) GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 - NIV)
God is powerful beyond the circumstances of your life. God is in control of every event in this world. The notion that God is limited and some things happen randomly is not a Biblical perspective. God "allows" or "blocks" every thing that happens in this world, large or small. Donald Trump may be the President of the USA for all kind of corruption, Russian intervention, and people who voted motivated by racism. Still, the man is not an accident. He is where is at because God allowed him to be there, and he will be there as long as God determines it. Arrogant people don't accept that. I do.
The same principle applies to a promise to make to pay something back based on a projected income. The income does not happen. You feel ashamed and embarrassed. You go crazy. A person, a friend, trusted you and you fail. There is no accident. The person who lent you the money was "allowed" by God to do it. Your promise to pay back was based on projection and good intentions. You don't get the money you need to pay it back. You pray and ask God for intervention. It does not happen. God is still in control. Try your best to get the money to pay back. But remember God is in control of "allowing" or "blocking" everything.
This concept used to drive me crazy in the past.
You do something stupid. 20 years later it comes back to haunt you. Your reputation is on the line. If you are letting God love you and you are walking with God, God is in charge of your reputation. There is a reason why that event came back. Relax. Ask forgiveness if the 20 year old act deserves to ask forgiveness. Do your best. Don't hide. Don't lie. Give it to God. There is a reason and you don't see it now. May be God wants to bless your accuser by watching the way you respond.
THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS IN GOD'S UNIVERSE
God is in control of everything. He either "allows" it or "blocks" it. God is pure LOVE and POWER. If you let God love you, He/She will use everything for your good in the end. God does not waste time, pain, suffering on nothing. There is a purpose. There is a reason, even if you don't understand it now or on your time on this earth.
Today, decide to allow God to love you, and believe He/She is in control of everything. Once that state of consciousness takes hold of you, you will be begin to see miracles all over the place. All day long. Just remember that there are no accidents or miracles in God's universe. Only from our perspective. Nothing is impossible for God. He got water out of rocks. He parted the waters of the Red Sea to save 1 million people. Nothing is impossible.
This promise from God has pulled me out of dark moments more than you will ever know. God always comes through, even if the answer at the moment is "no." Isaiah 43:1-7 (The Message)
"But now, God’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Friend, the One who got you started, Friend":
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine."
"When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down."
"When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end—because I am God, your personal God..., your Savior."
"I paid a huge price for you... That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. So don’t be afraid: I’m with you."
God will never let you down, even if the outcome of a situation is different than what you expect. God is in control and He/She will show you the way.
Let GOD LOVE you FIRST, then live LOVED, while you learn to LOVE Him, self, and the people of your world!
Much love,
Pastor Harold
