Why bad things happen to God’s People

Why do tragedies happen to God’s people, especially those who have lived an exemplary life of faith and service? If God is good, why is there so much misery, suffering, persecution, and injustice in the world? These are questions that, if you and I are honest, have troubled each of us at one time or another. Simplistic answers such as, “We live in a fallen world,” “It is God’s curse on sinful humanity,” “It is the devil’s fault,” or, “It is God’s permissive will,” may contain elements of truth. But they do not always settle the deepest questions of our hearts.