When good things happen...

[Carl]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I disagree. One cannot judge the final outcome of anything from a temporal perspective. Heartache, calamity, sickness, and yes... even evil can be exactly what is necessary for a far greater blessing. For example, I know a woman who was sleeping around, hooked on drugs, and drinking herself to death. She was considering suicide. She called suicide prevention and afterwards said a short prayer, "God, help me." Next thing she knew... smoking made her sick. The drugs made her sick. She went to the doctor and found out that she was pregnant! She thought, "Oh no! Not this! Not now! This is the worst thing that could happen to me!" She was shattered. She thought there was no way she could be a mother, she was an addict. She thought it couldn't possibly get worse.

Today... she's a bright, successful, drug free, woman who is living for Jesus. God knew just what it would take to turn her world around. God also knew what it would take to reduce her to the place wherein she knew she needed Him.

Sometimes the storm blows you on-course. Don't curse it and say it isn't from God. My brother's untimely death brought most of my family to Christ. Unless you're all knowing... you can't judge what is truly a tragedy in the moment when it is happening. Often years later we can see that it was a blessing in disguise.

God can work through the worst circumstances and bring something good out of bad but that does not mean he is the cause of the bad things happening. He may allow certain things to happen and even orchestrate some situations in our life but I wouldn't take that doctrine too far. We blame God for way too much.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Carl

God can work through the worst circumstances and bring something good out of bad but that does not mean he is the cause of the bad things happening. He may allow certain things to happen and even orchestrate some situations in our life but I wouldn't take that doctrine too far. We blame God for way too much.

I believe that within the confines of divine providence we have God appointed situations (sometimes good, sometimes undesirable) and we have God ordained circumstances (sometimes good, and sometimes undesirable). Those things which are ordained are things that are essentially permitted.