Sometimes, people say that God doesn’t care, and that he lets evil run rampant without stopping it.
I believe, of course, that he DOES care. That he has set in place things we can CHOOSE to do to head off the hideous evils that our world can produce, but that people do not CHOOSE to heed these preventative options.
For example, when I was suicidal many years ago, I could have followed my own heart and killed myself. I was fully prepared to do so. The Lord stepped in, however, and stopped me. Not by holding my arms back from myself or putting me to sleep, but by reminding me that it — meaning my life — would be all right. Eventually. I just had to give it time.
I could have killed myself. I could have. But I chose, instead, to heed the Lord and refrain.
Could be, that when we hear of monstrous atrocities, that the voice of God, through him or through his people, was there to prevent it…
But that someone, somewhere, did not heed that voice and something horrible happened.
God loves us. So much. We must grieve him so when we ignore him. Me, I hate being ignored and I’m just a chick. I can only imagine the divine frustration when an omniscient God tries to get his people to hear him and they refuse.
I can only imagine his sorrow when tragedy ensues.
God, forgive us for our willfulness. Help us to be brave enough to listen.