Bad things happen to good people...

It's the age old inescapable question that haunts every strata of society: Why do bad things happen to good people?

Keller has a lot on this in Reason for God.  Others have written brilliantly.  One of the best responses to this question came from a conference book: The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World.  Not sure who said it but the speaker/writer countered back with something like this: I'll answer that if you can answer for me why the God of the Universe didn't kill everyone in our city today for the sin of our actions and our hearts just today. Forget about last week or our cumulative record of sin and idolatry against God.  

Interesting thoughts...

However, came across the writings of Isaiah this morning and he wonders why good godly people die before their time - and no one can figure out why.  His answer: "No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die."

Maybe it's part of God's sovereign providential care for his people to kill some of us early so that we avoid future catastrophe - and maybe because God knows that it would be better for a particular individual to die now, while a shred of godliness remains, than to drift away completely. 

Hmmm!!