Is it difficult for some Christians to swallow the biblical fact that God ordains suffering? Sure. We all do. We all ask, “Why, Lord, why?” That’s natural—and not sinful to do so. But we don’t need to defend our Lord, right? God doesn’t need us to plead his case as to why he permitted that car accident or allowed that stillborn. This doesn’t mean experiencing these things isn’t incredibly difficult. Even unbearable.

What is a decree? As it relates to God, it is his “eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.”1

That last part makes many Christians cringe. God decrees whatever comes to pass? Every last thing that has ever taken place in the universe—good, bad, ugly—only comes to fruition through the sovereign and divine decree of God. Yes, that is true.

Some Christians object to that on the basis of the horrible things that happen in this world. You’re meaning to claim, they say, that God ordained the events of the Holocaust, 9/11, or children dying of cancer? The short answer to this is, well, Yes. God ordained everything that has come to pass. No, God ordaining evil doesn’t mean God is evil. God permitting egregious sins to take place doesn’t mean God created sin. God does, indeed, use sin sinlessly.

When something horrific happens, many people will say God had no part of that. If there’s a car accident, a murder, a massacre, or anything else horrible for that matter, many will declare that it was the work of Satan (and Satan alone). God had nothing to do with it. His hands were tied. There was nothing he could do.

That attitude toward evil is far, far worse—and frightening—than believing God ordains that come to pass (which isn’t frightening at all). What would we do, where would we go—to whom would we pray?!—if God was not in control of all things, including events where evil happens?

Perhaps you’re still firm in your stance that God does not plan horrific events like we see everyday. Maybe you still can’t believe that God ordains for people to get sick, to commit evil acts, to die in an accident. Then let me ask a question.

If not God, who?

Are we merely experiencing pain and tragedy by ourselves?

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