Burdens

. . . you laid heavy burdens upon our backs. 

 - From Psalm 66

Why would God allow evil to happen on the earth?

I think that the answer might be found in Psalm 66. This notion of God "allowing" this or that evil to happen, is addressed right here. It seems almost entirely to be about the bad things happening to the author. We think of Psalms as being all about praising God for all the good things He has done. We worship Him for the Good and Loving God that He is. 

But here, the psalmist (maybe David) lists a set of bad things that happened to him, and thanks God. In the sample above, "You laid heavy burdens upon our backs," he treats it as though even that is a good thing.

Thank you, Lord, for providing for me, taking care of me, healing me, helping me, blessing me. 

Thank you, Lord, for these struggles. Thank you for the sadness, for the down times. Thank you for the burdens up our backs.

Have you ever had a sore back? Who hasn't? It gets in the way of your entire day. It makes things difficult to do; it makes it hard to enjoy the moment; perhaps more so, than aches and pains anywhere else. The back is the hub of your entire body. If it hurts, everything hurts. 

But God puts something heavy upon it, that we have to lug around. When we're done lugging, we will have a backache for a few days or more. 

But the Psalmist is happy for it. 

Why does God allow evil on the earth? 

Maybe because He expects you to do something about it!

There's a lonely, angry little boy living within a quarter mile of you. His mom has to work, and his Dad is completely out of the picture. He is a very gifted soccer player, but his mother cannot afford it. He has no supervision. Nobody, except his weary mother, gives a rip about him. 

Why do you allow this to happen?

(And don't give me politics, taxes, government programs, social services, and bumper stickers. I asked, what are you going to do about it?)

God allows the sunny, warm day. He also allows the cold, rainy night. 

Thanks be to God.