How can we tell which good things are a result of God's actions, and which good things are a result of human free will or just plain coincidence? Here's how I like to think about it:

God is good. Basic statement, pretty much everyone agrees with it.
God = good
But is the reverse true?
good = God
Everything that is good comes from God. Without God, there is no good. I agree with this, but not everyone does.

When God designed man, He imbued in him the general desire to be good. When you do something nice for someone, you feel good about it. It's just natural. It's natural to feel good about doing good because God made us that way. Everyone likes to feel good, so everyone does good, at least once in a while. Every time someone does something good, it's because of the way God designed us.

So, we know for sure that all good things that come out of human free will are ultimately credited to God. Bad things that come out of human free will are not credited to God, however, because God never included the desire for evil in our design.

But what about good and bad things that happen as a result of nature? Say there's an earthquake that kills a true saint. Let us also say that the same earthquake happened to shift the direction of a river in a way such that it provided irrigation for a poor Bible-believing farmer who couldn't afford it otherwise. Who's to blame? Who's to credit? Is it just random? Surely the farmer would be thanking God, but what about the other saint? Maybe it was just his time to go? Undoubtedly the saint is happier in heaven, but what about his family? Why am I asking so many rhetorical questions? Jesus addresses this very subject in Luke 13:4. I'll quote the NIV version here: "[. . .] those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?" Some tower fell on a bunch of people, probably due to a minor earthquake, but Jesus said the people who died in it were no more evil than anyone else. In other words, Jesus was saying: God didn't do it. But does that mean that nothing that occurs in nature is because of God's direct action? Certainly not; one only needs to glance at the Old Testament to discover that. So, we are left at an impasse. I would say that credit for good and bad things happening from nature should be taken on a case by case basis.

What about random occurrences that are neither caused by nature nor by man? Let's say there was a raffle drawing that just happened to win me a slick new Pentium 4 and motherboard. Granted, it was man who organized the drawing, and provided the prizes, but it was not man who decided who the winner was. Could we credit this to God? Did the Lord place a suggestive hint in the subconscious of the person who was drawing the tickets? "Move your hand a little to the left, that's it, pick that one." Or was it truly random? Is anything truly random? I don't know either.

Any insights?

-Caleb

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"True friendship is not characterized by the absence of conflict, but by the ability to resolve conflict."

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proverbs 17:28
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

www.gfa.org - Gospel for Asia

www.persecution.com - Voice of the Martyrs

So does someone have thoughts on the main topic or what?

-Caleb

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"True friendship is not characterized by the absence of conflict, but by the ability to resolve conflict."

------------------
proverbs 17:28
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

www.gfa.org - Gospel for Asia

www.persecution.com - Voice of the Martyrs

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* Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked in jet engines.

to your post: "Every good and perfect gift comes from God" -James 1:17

(if I didn't quote it right.. my apologies)

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Soterion Studios

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"True friendship is not characterized by the absence of conflict, but by the ability to resolve conflict."

------------------
proverbs 17:28
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

www.gfa.org - Gospel for Asia

www.persecution.com - Voice of the Martyrs

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Soterion Studios

as for natural disasters.. its a western christian (particularly american) trend to believe that God purposes only only wealth, health, and happiness. However, in Isaiah (not sure but I think maybe chapter 40 ) God says that he created the good things of nature, but it also says "I the Lord create evil" This puzzles many people but the word translated evil does not mean moral evil, it means natural evil.. or "calamity". It means storms and natural disasters.
People like to think that God makes everything ok for the good people and makes things tough for the bad people. The bibl, however, says that God causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall upon the wicked as well as the righteous.
God does specially bless his people and everything does work to the good of his people, but his ways are not our ways.

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-- All that is gold does not glitter,
Deep roots are not touched by the frost,
The old that is strong does not wither,
Not all those who wander are lost.

Rhy