Natural disasters, earthquakes, and pandemics have long been a source of anguish and confusion for many people of faith. Why, they wonder, would a loving and all-powerful God allow such suffering and devastation to occur? The question of why God permits these tragedies to happen is one that has troubled theologians, philosophers, and believers for centuries.
Let’s try to find the answers to some of these questions from the word of God.
If God is all powerful, why can’t he stop pandemics and natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunami, etc.?
When things go wrong, people want to blame God and question Him. Calamity comes once in a blue moon. Every day, every week, every month, every year He does nothing but good- makes the sun rise, gives rain, etc but people don’t think of God, they don’t give thanks to Him. It’s not fair for such people to complain against God. He permits calamity because He wants the people to look to Him and enter into a personal relationship with Him. They are not honoring God in good seasons. So God is giving them the opportunity to think of God.
If God exists and he is good, then why doesn’t he stop the evil acts of men?
God’s personality is beyond our comprehension. He displays all virtues in a balanced way. Since he is good, he gave free will to man. Man is responsible for his actions. Man abused his free will and chose evil things. Now, because of God’s goodness and patience, He is waiting for man to abandon his evil ways and return to him. When man does not want God, he lets them reap what they have sowed. He wants people to cry to Him in their affliction, and then He rescues them and at the right time, He will destroy those wicked men. He is long-suffering and has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and wants them to repent. (Ezekiel 33)