Wasn't It God's Will?

nam-eno · Newbie Joined: Jul 05, 2007 Posts: 77 Status: **Offline**

Greetings,

Below is a discussion from another group that I thought might be interesting to share.

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Lazlo,

You Wrote: "A young boy with his grandmother asked me; what happened with your leg? I answered; God wanted my leg to break. The grandmother was annoyed, so for her question I added: I slipped on black ice; she explained that to the kid. But really: wasn't it God's will?"

It is an interesting question, but if everything were God's will, then, we would not have free will, yet it is God's will that we should have free will. This is part of the mystery of what we seek to understand. We pray to God for divine intervention, but not everything of this world is the work of God. God created the heavens and earth. He placed everything in motion, but there is also motion without Him. We often produce such events through our free will, but what we do is not always according to God's will, hence our sin.

Perhaps, there are other things in the world that simply happen. To slip on black ice could be a chance combination of events or perhaps a moment placed as a test for our lives by God. What is placed before us is what leads to how we shall respond. How we respond is our choice. In some cases we respond as Jesus taught us, in other cases we respond contrary to God's desire for us. In that, we often find what we know as evil.

The interaction of God's will and ours will produce many of the events of our world, but God has also presented before us the forces of nature, the environment in which we exist. Yes, there may be divine intervention, but there is also the progression of the natural events of this world. Through this combination of the interaction of God, His creation and us with one another, the events of the world unfold. We exist here so that we may prepare for our next existence. In that environment, sometimes bad things happen to good people, but whatever those events, they are temporary tests that lead to our choice of eternity.

Some scripture to consider:

"As He passed by He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him." John 9:1-3

In these words of the Lord, it is revealed that sometimes adverse events are placed before us so that the works of God might be made visible. One might ask, why would God make a man suffer in blindness for years only to reveal His works? Did not the Son of Man suffer and die for our salvation? Did He not rise to reveal the glory of God? How can we understand that which is good if we are never exposed to the opposite? How we respond is perhaps the test we face and how we demonstrate our choice for eternity.

In the blindness of the man born blind, we find blessings for all those who witnessed the miracle that he might see, but he had to be born blind for the miracle to happen. In the suffering of our Lord, we see blessings for all mankind. In our suffering, do we see our blessings? Do we see God's work? Do we see that what is to come must start with what is now? Do we see that our salvation was not possible with out the sacrifice of our Lord?

Motion in this world according to God's will is the light. Motion in this world contrary to the teachings of our Lord is the darkness. Whether we travel towards the light or the darkness is our choice.

Lazslo, you wrote a story with an important question to ponder. Many have seen your story and your question, and though not everyone has answered, many now may ponder the question you raise. Had you not slipped on the ice, a young boy would not have asked a question. Had a young boy not asked a question, your story would not have the same impact for those who read it. Without your story, the question would go unasked and the discussion or thoughts that may come of it.

From a single event many things may come. In history, no other event has influenced so many people as the birth of our Lord, His Life, His death, and His ressurection. Before he could rise, He had to die in sacrifice for our sins. Before He could die, he had to be handed over to be put to death. Before he could be handed over, He had to call those to Him, to include the one who would betray Him. Before any of this could happen, He had to be born. There has been no other event that has influenced so many, but the story would have no influence if it were not for many events to follow to include the question you raised.

Lazlo, I pray your healing is quick and I thank you for your story. May God bless you for sharing.

May peace be with you.

Nam Eno
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What do you believe is God's will?

Blessings,
Nam Eno