Why Does God Allow Bad Things?

Is one bad thing after another happening to you? Do you feel like you just can’t get a break? Do you pray and pray about it and not get any relief, actually it just gets worse? How come Life so Hard? Why isn’t God making it better? Why does God allow bad things to happen?

I’ve heard people say “It’s just that old devil” or “I’m under attack from the enemy”. I can’t say that is never true, but in my experience, I believe that hasn’t been the case.

Isaiah 45:7 God causes bad things:

Let’s consider Isaiah 45:7. Here is that scripture in four different versions (or translations):

NLT (New Living Translation) Isaiah 45:7 I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

NIV (New International Version) Isaiah 45:7 I form the light and create darkness; I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

KJV (King James Version) Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.

NCV (New Century Version) Isaiah 45:7 I made the light and the darkness. I bring peace, and I cause troubles. I, the Lord, do all these things.

God not only allows these bad things to happen to you, but actually brings or causes them? I thought He loves us. If He loves us, why would He bring bad things that make us suffer?

Personal Testimony – Why does God Allow Bad Things

There was a time in my life when this was happening to me ferociously. I tried to live life right. Worked hard on being a good wife, mother, & employee. Never been arrested and never had addictions to drugs or alcohol. I had very high moral values and wanted to make everyone happy.

But everything went very bad. It came from all different directions. I was bombarded with one horrible calamity after another. Why did God allow all this to happen to me? It felt like there was no hope. I thought I was going to die, for this horrible life was going to kill me. The bad things just kept coming with no breaks, and I was having trouble eating & sleeping. I was physically sick all the time, and caught every little bug going around. My back was constantly going out and was in horrible pain.

I thought I and my kids were going to lose our house and be homeless for the financial problems were intense too. Like all that wasn’t bad enough, the media coverage on the local news of my horrible situation made it so much worse. Everyone knew the tragedy I was facing, and so many people in my life turned on me. I didn’t want to get out of bed and face another horrific day. It was me against the world and I had to face all this alone.

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Why would God let all this happen to me? Only God can answer that question, but I can tell you that I became totally dependent on Him. Since I wasn’t sleeping much anyway, I would often times actually pray (and cry) all night. I couldn’t count on any people. This brought me to a place of only relying on and calling out to God. I drew closer and closer to the Lord. My life was desperately dependent on God to save me.

It made me pretty angry when I read Isaiah: 45:7. I was in a moment of despair. I felt betrayed and was so very angry at God.

The Lord put up with all my complaining and was with me through every step. That was the time when I heard His voice and experienced miracles. Almost all of the testimonies I have in my writings are from that extremely difficult time. Now that life is normal, I’m not hearing God’s voice or seeing miracles like I did. I’m hoping that’s because I’m not in despair or making as many bad decisions, and I’m following God, and my salvation is clear.

Looking back, I can see how hard Jesus was working with me, being so patient. He put up with all my complaining and anger. Had he just got me out of that mess quickly, I may not have learned how faithful and loving He is. And I may not have decided to follow and serve Him – or been saved. I wish it could have been easier, but I understand God allows bad things to happen so He can do what He has to do to get us to a certain place spiritually.

Conclusion – Why does God allow bad things?:

So, is one bad thing after the other happening to you? Do you see no end? Instead of looking at your Earthly life, try looking at your spiritual life. Is God trying to do something with you? Or maybe He is trying to teach you something? Is He trying to get your attention? Bring you to your knees? To realize He is the only one you can truly rely on and save you?

There are spiritual reasons why God might allow or cause bad things to happen to us. God is much more concerned about your spiritual wellbeing than He is about your worldly wellbeing. He will do whatever it takes to strengthen your spirit and write your name in the book of life. He brings bad things into our lives because He loves us and because He is faithful. So depend on Him to get you through. Let Him do His work on you. You will get through this.

PDF: Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Us?

See: Hard Times Bible Study Worksheet