Why does God allow bad things to happen? The simplest response to this common question is that Jesus tells us in this world we will have trouble. (John 16:33). We are spiritual beings having an earthly experience.

However, I think the question would be better framed as, “Why does God not intervene when these things happen”? I want to talk on a large scale because often times people do not accept the existence of God due to horrific human atrocities that have happened and/or are still happening. There are often many warning signs that precede human atrocities. In Exodus 32, when the children of Israel fashioned a golden calf deity for worship, this is what God spoke to Moses, “Let me Alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them, and I may consume them.” But Moses intervened and pleaded with the Lord on behalf of the Israelites and reminded God of the purpose he had for them and all He had done up until that point in bringing them out of bondage. After putting to death those who were caught worshipping the golden calf and therefore unfaithful in their relationship with God, Moses gathered the remaining people and instructed them to consecrate themselves before the Lord in order make atonement for what they had done.

In Ezra 9, the people of Israel fell back into old habits and into paganism. When Ezra learned of this, He fell into great distress and began to fast and pray before the Lord. One thing to pay close attention too is Ezra’s cry to God. As Ezra stretched his arms out to the Lord, Ezra having no involvement in the intermarriage to the foreign people of the lands took on the burden of their sin and said, “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” Ezra fasted, gathered the people in the open square and told them they had transgressed and to make confession to the Lord their God and to separate themselves from that which caused them to sin. And the people accepted and rejoiced.

King David, after his sin had been revealed to him, he immediately turned his heart towards repentance. (2 Samuel 12). Though pleading with God and fasting to encourage God to remove the consequences of his sinful actions, it came to pass. David could have easily turned his heart away from God when God did not heed his prayers, but David instead said this when his servant confronted him, “Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. (2 Samuel 12: 22-23)

All of these examples convey one thing, leadership. Perhaps one of the reasons we fail to see God’s hand our situations is because of poor leadership.

You see, we have entered into somewhat of a contractual agreement with the laws of our country, much like a marriage. We agree to uphold the laws of the land, we agree to uphold the tenets of our martial vows. To have a godly marriage, the man must submit himself under Christ. Much in the same way, in order to see God’s hand on a nation, that nation must be built on godly principles and represented by a leader who practices and instills those principles.

God’s hand on a nation can stop widespread disease, eliminate world hunger, and prevent the loss of innocent blood due to war. But we won’t see it happen until we submit.

Don’t forget to comment down below!