I know what that - OT - verse says; I don't believe that God sends sickness and problems, for the reason given.
There is doubtless a fine line between specifically sending something and allowing it to take place - maybe it seemed to Isaiah that God was sending everything? The problem is that James says that every good and perfect present comes from God, and I don't know of anyone who thinks that bereavement, dementia, chronic illness and agonising pain are either good or perfect.
And the purpose for this is
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Peter's talking about persecution.
He addresses his letter to those who are scattered, 1 Peter 1:1. When persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, Acts of the Apostles 8:1, the believers were scattered.
Persecution would test anyone's faith - remain true to Jesus and be killed, or deny him and live knowing that you have denied the faith and the Lord? That's why Hebrews was written - to encourage those facing persecution to stand firm, and not deny Christ and return to the Jewish faith. The church in Smyrna are told to stand firm and persevere under persecution, Revelation 2:10.
This is not at all the same as saying that the Lord sends M.E, MS, Cancer or whatever to teach and rebuke Christians.
Jesus didn't say that he had deliberately been made blind just so that God could be glorified.
Any treatment that he had received had not been successful, and God was clearly going to work in his life. But God didn't need to make him blind just to look good when he healed him.
In practice there is probably no difference between God sending something and God allowing it; it still hurts when we are going through it.
But I believe that God is the ultimate recycler - he can use anything for his own glory, Romans 8:28. That doesn't mean he sends the bad things. He is a perfect, loving heavenly Father, and the Good Shepherd. It is the devil who is the bad shepherd and who comes to steal and destroy; the devil who sends what he can to turn us away from God - look at Job 1.
As I said, to think up an evil disease like Alzheimer's is not the mark of a loving heavenly Father - Dementia might cause believers to forget God, and they would be unable to learn anything.
And supposing a Christian turns away from his faith and doesn't glorify God or help and comfort others? Supposing they forget they are Christians and everything that God has done for them, and can no longer praise and worship him in the latter years of their lives? Supposing Christian leaders get cancer, or other illnesses and dies from them? David Watson was very open about his cancer, wrote a book and gave talks about how he was closer to God and how he had been blessed IN it - but still died from it. God could have dramatically healed an international evangelist, but didn't. Same with Roy Castle and John Wimber, and I'm sure there have been others.
God's glory is seen in creation, in changed lives, in his people serving him, witnessing to him and being light - letting his light shine through them. God doesn't need to send pain, agony, sickness, destruction to glorify himself - but he can nonetheless receive glory in them by the way that we react to them.[/QUOTE]
So what do u make of that Verse? Bc its in the Bible and it does say God causes darkness/ calamity.
And that he allows them for pruning.
The verses are there.
