Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died.” vs. 6
Numbers 21:4-9
It’s not uncommon for people to wonder why awful things are happening in their lives. And for people of faith the wondering is often accompanied by the question, “Why is God doing this to me?” Behind the question lurks the popular assumption that when we sin, God will arrange for our punishment, maybe not with poisonous snakes, but with some other calamity. Certainly there are many bible passages similar to this one from Numbers that provide a basis for such a picture of God. The problem with such notions is that they don’t hold up to the image of God that we see in Jesus. While his disciples assumed that death and disease were a punishment for sin, Jesus taught them that God was the source of life and forgiveness. Obviously there are consequences for foolish and careless behaviors. Sometimes we do suffer for our sins, but that’s not because God has it in for us. Rather, it’s a corollary of the basic law of cause and effect that’s built into the universe. But in reality there’s plenty of bad stuff that just randomly comes our way in the course of our days. God doesn’t need to add more! Instead, God is the source of comfort and consolation when the ugliness hits home. Remember, God is our healer and not our harmer!
Thought for the Day: What is the law of cause and effect?
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