A Good, Good Father

The majority of people on earth tend to always blame disasters and or traumatic situations on God. This is not limited to those who are of the world, but unfortunately many who call themselves Christians. In contrast, you almost never hear people thank God when something good happens. Why is this? Although God told the Prophet Hosea to speak these words Israel, I believe the same words are an indictment against all people who blame God for disasters and or traumatic situations. "My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me." (Hosea 4:6 NLT) 

God's will, nature, character, purposes and plan is clearly revealed in the Bible, especially in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. But as Hosea tells us, a lack of knowing God has promoted the idea that He is the one responsible for disasters and traumatic situations happening. Jesus reveals some very important information concerning His connection with the Father in a conversation that He has with His disciples. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him. Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves." (John 14:7-11) As we clearly see, Jesus entire life and ministry reveals the Father's will, nature, character, purposes and plan. If we want to know God the Father, we simply study the life and ministry of Jesus. 

There is another reason why people blame God for bad things. It also deals with the area of having a lack of knowledge. This time, it deals with a lack knowing the schemes that the Bible reveals concerning God's enemy, Satan. The very names that Satan is associated with as revealed in the Bible (and they are many) are a direct reflection of his nature and actions. To discover how this all came about, we begin by using what is know as the Hermeneutical Law of Double Reference. It is speaking of or to one person in reference to another person beyond or behind them.  There are two main scripture references that we can look at to discover these events, Isaiah 14:4-23, Ezekiel 28:1-19. 

In short, Lucifer was a magnificent created being, a powerful Archangel that was at the throne of God. However, in the pureness and holiness of heaven he manifested self-will against God's will; I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. We see that he fell through pride and self-will, the very essence of sin; He wanted to be independent of God and be worship as God, so in his rebellion against God, he was cast down by God because iniquity (lawlessness) was found in him. 

Although the Bible does not reveal the actual origin of sin, we do find here that Lucifer, now Satan is  credited as the originator of all sin, the beginning of sin, sin personified, the first and original sinner. The Bible records Satan's nature and actions to be, the enemy (Matthew 13:39); Antichrist (1 John 2:18-22); the adversary (1 Peter 5:8); the accuser (Job 1:6-7); a liar and murderer (John 8:44); a thief (John 10:10); the opposer (Zechariah 1:3); the deceiver (Revelation 12:9). Although these are just a few, we can clearly see who he is which is what he does. Basically, he opposes God, people and everything good with his evil schemes.

As we see in the above, the two reasons why people blame God for bad things is through a lack of knowing God, that is, His will, nature, character, purposes and plan and also through a lack of knowing the schemes that Satan. Satan's lawless acts continuously oppose God, people and all that is good.  However, God is good and does good all of the time. (Psalm 119:68) Grace and peace be with you all.