Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen to Good People Les Beauchamp
Scroll to read a recap of Pastor Les’ sermon from September 14, 2025
Let’s Break it Down
In a world marked by tragedy, many question why a good God allows suffering. This sermon explores how Christians can respond to tragedy without losing faith. We're reminded that we live in a broken world affected by sin, where suffering can result from our choices or be permitted by God for greater purposes.
Key Takeaways
Even the strongest believers (like John the Baptist) can experience doubt during suffering, and God welcomes our honest questions.
We live in a broken world where suffering occurs because of sin, free will, and the enemy's work - not necessarily because of our personal failings.
God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours; He may be using suffering to accomplish purposes we cannot yet see.
When facing tragedy, we should grieve appropriately, walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh, pray, and trust God's eternal perspective.
Jesus doesn't abandon us in our suffering but walks with us through it, having experienced the ultimate suffering Himself on the cross.
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5 Day Devotional
Day 1:When Faith Meets Doubt
Devotional: Even the strongest believers face moments of doubt. John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus and proclaimed Him as the Lamb of God, found himself questioning from a prison cell whether Jesus was truly the Messiah. His story reminds us that doubt isn't the opposite of faith—it's often part of the journey. When tragedy strikes or suffering persists, we naturally question. Why would a loving God allow this? Where is He in my pain? These questions don't indicate weak faith but human hearts seeking understanding in a broken world. What's remarkable is how Jesus responded to John's doubt. He didn't rebuke him but pointed to evidence of His ministry—the blind see, the lame walk, the good news is preached. Jesus meets our doubts not with condemnation but with gentle reassurance of His presence and purpose. Perhaps you're in a season of questioning. Take comfort knowing that even John—who stood in the Jordan River with the Spirit descending like a dove—had moments of uncertainty. Your questions don't disappoint God; they invite Him into your honest struggle.
Bible Verse
"When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?'" - Matthew 11:2-3
Reflection Question
What area of your life currently feels most difficult to trust God with, and how might acknowledging your doubts actually create space for deeper faith?
Quote "This is John who is asking, are you really the Lamb of God? Are you really God? Or what we've longed for for so long. Should we start looking now? Do you feel the weight of that? This is enormous. Let me ask you this question. If John could doubt, you think you could?"
Prayer
Father, thank you that you're big enough for my questions and patient with my doubts. Help me to trust you even when I don't understand your ways. Remind me that you're working even when I can't see it. In Jesus' name, amen.
Day 2:Finding Peace in a Troubled World
Devotional: We live in a world where tragedy and suffering are inevitable realities. School shootings, political violence, personal loss—these experiences can shake our faith and leave us questioning God's goodness. Yet Jesus never promised His followers an easy path. Instead, He offered something more valuable: His peace in the midst of trouble. "In this world you will have tribulation," He said, acknowledging the reality of suffering. But He didn't stop there. "Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." This isn't shallow optimism. It's the profound assurance that while suffering is real, it doesn't have the final word. Jesus has already secured the ultimate victory through His death and resurrection. The pain we experience is temporary; His triumph is eternal. When we face hardship, we have a choice. We can allow suffering to embitter us, or we can embrace Christ's perspective that sees beyond present pain to coming redemption. His peace doesn't remove our troubles but transforms how we experience them—not as abandoned victims but as beloved children held secure in the hands of a Father who has already overcome.
Bible Verse
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33
Reflection Question
How might your perspective on current difficulties change if you truly believed that Jesus has already overcome everything you're facing?
Quote "Jesus told us, in this world, you're going to have tribulation. But notice what he says. But be of good cheer. Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world."
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for your honesty about the troubles we face and for your promise of peace that transcends circumstances. When I'm overwhelmed by the brokenness around me, help me remember that you've already overcome. Fill me with your supernatural peace today. Amen.
Day 3:The Freedom of Forgiveness
Devotional: One of the most natural responses to suffering is anger. When we're hurt, we want someone to blame—sometimes others, sometimes ourselves, sometimes God. This anger isn't wrong; it's human. But what we do with that anger determines whether it becomes destructive or transformative. The path to healing begins with forgiveness. Not because what happened was acceptable, but because unforgiveness chains us to our pain. As the sermon reminds us, "Anger, not coupled with forgiveness, becomes bitterness. And the scripture says this. It will defile many." Forgiveness isn't a one-time event but a daily choice. That's why Paul instructs us not to let the sun go down on our anger. Each day presents new opportunities to either nurture resentment or release it through forgiveness. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is God. Though He is never at fault, we may hold Him responsible for our suffering. Releasing this unforgiveness—acknowledging that God remains good even when life isn't—can be profoundly liberating. In a world increasingly defined by division and hostility, forgiveness becomes a radical act of faith. It declares that we choose to live by different values—not retribution, but grace.
Bible Verse
"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." - Ephesians 4:26-27
Reflection Question
Is there someone (including yourself or God) that you need to forgive today? What might be the first step toward releasing that burden?
Quote "Some of you, the greatest thing you can do today is forgive God. Not because he's guilty, but because you're holding him responsible for your lack of happiness and not a broken world."
Prayer
Heavenly Father, forgiveness doesn't come naturally to me. Help me to release the anger I'm holding onto before it becomes bitterness. Thank you for forgiving me so completely in Christ. Give me the strength to extend that same grace to others and to trust your goodness even when I don't understand your ways. Amen.
Day 4:Walking in the Spirit Through Suffering
Devotional: When tragedy strikes, our natural instincts often lead us toward self-protection, anger, or revenge. These reactions come from what Scripture calls our "flesh"—our old nature that operates from fear rather than faith. But as followers of Jesus, we're called to a different response. Walking in the Spirit means allowing God's perspective to transform our natural reactions. It's a daily choice to surrender our impulses to His wisdom. As the sermon reminds us, this is a continuous battle that requires daily crucifixion of our old nature. What does this look like practically? It means choosing forgiveness over resentment, compassion over judgment, and engagement over withdrawal. It means being known not as "judgers, severe hypocrites" but as people who "listen, engage, and care." This spiritual walk doesn't deny our grief or pain. Rather, it channels these emotions toward redemptive purposes. When we respond to suffering from the Spirit rather than the flesh, we become agents of healing rather than perpetuating cycles of hurt. The world doesn't need more anger and division. It needs people who, even in their own suffering, choose the counterintuitive path of love, forgiveness, and hope.
Bible Verse
"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." - Galatians 5:16-17
Reflection Question
In what specific situation this week could you choose a Spirit-led response rather than reacting from your natural instincts?
Quote "Number two. Walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. Did you know there's a battle continuously inside us to resurrect the dead man we used to be? The dead woman we used to be. Actually, it happens on a daily basis. That's why Jesus says, crucify the flesh. How often? Daily? Every single day."
Prayer
Holy Spirit, I recognize my need for your guidance, especially when I'm hurting. Help me to crucify my fleshly reactions of anger, judgment, and self-protection. Fill me with your love, patience, and wisdom instead. May my response to difficulty reflect Jesus rather than my old nature. Amen.
Day 5:Trusting the Heart of God
Devotional: Perhaps the greatest challenge of suffering is reconciling our pain with God's goodness. We want to understand why—why this tragedy, why this illness, why this loss. But often, those answers remain beyond our grasp. In these moments, we face a profound choice: will we trust God's heart when we cannot trace His hand? Will we believe that His ways, though mysterious and sometimes painful, flow from perfect love? Isaiah reminds us that God's ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts. This isn't a dismissal of our questions but an invitation to humility. We see in part; He sees the whole. We experience moments; He orchestrates eternity. Sometimes God allows suffering because it produces something valuable that couldn't come any other way—compassion, dependence, spiritual growth, or witness to others. C.S. Lewis observed that God whispers in our pleasures but shouts in our pain: "It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Whatever you're facing today, remember this promise: He hasn't left you alone. The God who entered our suffering through Jesus remains present in yours. Not because you've earned His faithfulness, but because faithfulness is who He is.
Bible Verse
"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" - Isaiah 55:8-9
Reflection Question
What would it look like in your current circumstances to trust God's heart even when you can't understand His ways?
Quote "When you can't see his hand, trust his heart. And his heart is for us and it's good."
Prayer
Lord, I confess that I want to understand everything, to see the reasons behind my pain. Help me to trust your heart when I can't trace your hand. Thank you that you're working in ways I cannot see and that you never leave me alone in my suffering. Give me faith to believe that your ways, though mysterious, are good. In Jesus' name, amen.