One of the questions that I most frequently asked is, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” “If God is so good, why is there so much evil all around?” This vein of question always intrigues me how quickly the Lord gets accused for what Satan is doing. These questions also seem to infer that a human being can live however they want and should expect nothing but good things. In a quest to clarify, here are a few things to consider.
- God is the Good Father.
James 1:13–17 (ESV)
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Every good gift and perfect gift is from above. This means that everything evil in your life did not come from God. The truth is that God cannot be even near evil. There is absolutely no evil in God. James tells us that if there is something that is evil in your life, Satan took a desire you had and lured you away. Everything that is evil comes from the enemy and everything good comes from the Lord. Why would you talk to a person that you think brought evil to you?
One of the things I love in life is being a husband and father. My wife and I have four children that each have their own distinct callings and destiny. My daughter holds a special place in my heart as my only girl. She will many times come back her way under my arms while I am talking with someone. She will take my arms and put them around her. At times, she will take a deep breath which communicates to me, “I am safe”. She knows that when she is with her daddy, she is safe, taken care of, and watched over. How much more are we invited into with our Abba Father that “is good and does good” (Psalm 119:68) all the time?
In the Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), the title Father would have been “Abba” in Aramaic and was the word used by young and adult Jewish children for their earthly fathers. The idea of praying to God as “Our Father” conveys the authority, warmth, and intimacy of a loving father’s care, while in heaven reminds believers of God’s sovereign rule over all things. In the time of Jesus, the Jewish people saw God as transcendent creator and King. They trembled before His great power. Jesus taught them that God their creator was also their Father. “In heaven” points to the Father’s powerful transcendence. Jesus combined these two ideas about God–He is both powerful and personal. He contrasted God’s fatherly love with His heavenly power, His transcendence with His tenderness, and His exalted place in glory with His bowing down so low.
God is a Father who longs for a relationship of deep partnership with us in which He trains (disciplines), provides for, protects, and directs us with tenderness. Notice that the entire Lord’s prayer is also plural. “Our Father” …our, us, and we are used 8 times. It reminds us that just as we are born into an earthly family so we are born again into a spiritual family…the church. This means that you never have to be alone again. Our Father has seen to giving us new spiritual life and birthed into a spiritual family. You are part of family and your siblings need your prayers.
- Satan is the evil father.
John 8:38–44 (ESV)
38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The Bible tells us that there are two fathers. Jesus is talking to the unredeemed and telling them that their father is the devil. The enemy’s objectives are clearly seen: murder and deception. The father of these Pharisees is a murderer that “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He stalks people and tries to murder every area of their lives. Therefore, Paul tells us to, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
Satan is the evil father and is always lying. His consistent ongoing form of communication is deception. The Bible tells us, “He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
This means that where there is deception, there you will find the realm of darkness. Satan is a liar and lies all the time. If we are not aware, he will put thoughts in our minds. If there is a thought in your mind that contradicts God’s Word, it is a lie from the enemy. “God is mad at me” or “He has not forgiven me” or “God does not love me”. These are deceptions that stand against the truth of God and come from the evil father, Satan.
It is very common to trace back the bondage areas of our lives to the roots of a father wound. We react out of a rejection that we are born into due to our sin nature. However, we are accepted when we are born again. Little boys and girls get their affirmation from their fathers. Grown men and women look to earthly fathers for affirmation. Due to father wounds in our lives, it can be hard to approach our Father in prayer. Is there any residual of a fathers wound still in your life? Harsh words, difficulties, or abuse by a father or a father figure. Are there areas of withholding words of life and/or healthy physical affection? That is where the evil father has used a human to bring deception and murder in your life. Invite the Good Father, that sent His Son for you, to redeem your past and future. Pray for wholeness and life to overshadow every area of your life.