2 Kings 24

“Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah…” (2 Kings 24:3, NKJV)

God’s sovereignty in a mystery. We accept that He is in control when times are good. We certainly wouldn’t want to take the credit for these! But what about when times are bad? What about when tragedy strikes? Is He still sovereign? If He is sovereign, then why does He allow such bad things to happen to good people? These are all difficult questions. It is what the book of Job is all about.

Great calamity was coming upon Judah. King Nebuchadnezzar would invade Jerusalem three times. The third time he would burn the city and destroy the temple, eliminating the possibility of another rebellion. And yet all this devastation came upon them because the LORD commanded it. In the case of Judah, we can see how they deserved judgment because they had forsaken the LORD. But what about other times when good people suffer?

We often do not understand why things happen, but we must know that whatever happens, God is still in control. He is working out His plans. This is the heritage we have as children of God. The world does not have this guarantee, but we do.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28, NLT)

When suddenly life deals us a harsh blow, our faith in this promise is tested. Paul doesn’t say that God causes everything to happen, but He will use even the worst of circumstances to accomplish His good purpose for us. This requires much faith and patience on our part. Satan would love to turn us from our faith and make us bitter. But Jesus prays for us that our faith will not fail (Luke 22:31-32). When the evil day has passed, we will shine as precious gold and glorify God (1 Peter 1:6-7).