I am SO GLAD you brought this up. I really do understand your questioning on this. It makes perfect sense to do so. Let me use scripture again.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. (Romans 8:18-22)
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)
Jeremiah chapter 4 (I won't print it here) is also a good read. What is the deal you may ask. Jeez God sounds like a terrible God. First of all NO ONE IS INNOCENT.
Romans 3 as it is written:
10 None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good, not even one.”
There are so many verses that deal with the depravity of man that I don't want to quote them all here. When sin came into this world so did death and destruction. Creation also was cursed with the sin. Thus creation is no longer perfect just as man is no longer perfect. It is because of our own actions and sinfulness that God has cursed creation. He doesn't send every storm or every earthquake or every volcanic eruption. Rather these things are part of the curse. My friend they are part of the curse because of you and ME. We reject God, even curse God. We live sinful lives and our hearts are wicked. This kind of behavior separates us from God and separated nature from it's intended perfection. The world still works within the boundries that God has set up. We all know what the forces of nature could do. We are helpless against them. Yet they do not overwhelm us as they could.
And yes sometimes God does use nature to punish us for our wickedness. A warped view of God is to say "God is love." God is so much more than that. If all you say is "God is love" then we don't understand God at all! God isn't just love. God is righteous and God is holy and God is just. All those things are also God. We have rejected God and His Son. We deserve destruction. Yet God loves us also and has provided a way for us to have a relationship with him despite our depravity.
Upvote
0