Hello all. I've posted here before but I feel the need to do so again. I have just been having some trouble and trying to answer some questions. I hope no one will be offended by them and can understand my point of view. Thanks.

I have always been raised a Christian, but now that I am older I am having some questions. For instance, I was always told to pray for people who need help in some way, whether they be sick, poor, homeless, or any other kind of situation. But does God really make his decision to help people based on if we ask him to or not? It just seems like that's not the loving, caring God I know. And look at people in third-world countries, starving, abused, neglected; why does God do this? Look at children who are abused, homeless, handicapped, etc. Is it really necessary for this to happen? I just can't understand why these kinds of things happen... I know that everyone has their ups and downs, and we have to go through bad things to appreciate good, but thinking about these kinds of things just doesn't seem right. What do you guys think?

Moved to Seekers Of Christ

The fall of man when Adam and Eve sinned brought suffering to humanity. God did not "do" any of this. He allowed man to have a free will and that is what we have become. Man is sinful and due to the sinfulness, we live with suffering.

I'm guessing you don't have a child, but if you asked a parent if they would be more likely to do something if their child asked them, most would say yes, as long as it didn't conflict with their greater plans.
That's a pretty accurate analogy of how prayer works: while God is unchangeable, one has to understand that He has personal qualities - people, after all, are created in His image. So when you ask him for help, He reallyis more likely to give help. But sometimes he does have bigger plans or paths He needs people to take, so He doesn't always answer our prayers they way we hope.
And also remember more importantly: rather than only pray for people's physical health and financial abilities, you should also be praying that they come to know the stability of God! This life isn't what's important. It'll seem like such an unreal period of time when we get to heaven - so when praying, remember that what happens to people after they die is so much more important than what happens here. So we should pray they come to know God's love, as well as an easier life.

As for abused people, homeless people, handicapped people... Some things are terrible, and it's quite difficult to wrap one's mind around how it could possibly God's plan for all this to happen.
But it really is true that you must go through bad things to appreciate the good things - and by good things I'm not talking about having a home or a steady income or physical peace! It's in my darkest hours, not my happiest or healthiest hours, that I really understand what a great God I have. And I know it'd be easier to have a great life, but when things don't go right, I realize what a horrible world I live in. And therefore I turn to God, and His goodness and solidity is a great contrast from the suffering I'm experiencing. I know you already said you were a bit weary with the idea of having to go through bad to appreciate good - but again, it's not just a "good" life we're talking about. As humans we get easily confused, and we don't really think about God when the world satisfies us totally. So God teaches us to appreciate Him, sometimes through trials.
Finally, these trials are not even on the same level of feeling that we'll feel in heaven. Imagine the difference of coolness between blowing on your fingertip and jumping in a pool. The breath is life - the pool is what's after. And if we remember the joy God has prepared for us, sometimes it really doesn't seem as bad, the world we live in, because it's not truly important. Pain and pleasure are exchanged for the true pleasure and pains of the next life. I know it might sound too "out-there" to focus on, but I feel like thinking about heaven, where we'll be spending the large majority of our existences, even for five minutes a day really helps me understand the world better.

I hope that helps - sorry if I wrote too much, and sorry if you don't see where I'm coming from. I'm praying for you - hope your doubts about God settle down.

I agree, God does not do these horrible things, he lets them happen. Before sin entered the world God gave us free choice. He told Adam and Eve the one thing they were not allowed to do, and they did it. At that point Gods creation fell from being perfect, to being flawed. It was not Gods choice because He had given us the freedom to choose. A similar thing happens today, the one exception is that we are all already fallen. Everyone has a basic idea of what is right and wrong, but everyone also naturally has a selfish nature. It is not Gods will that we sin, it is His will that all sin will be overcome. The same is true about the products of sin: poverty, sickness, disease, and abuse. Eventually all these things will be overcome when He comes back. For now we know the truth, and must realize that eventually they will be no more, and those people dealing with them will know the truth in the end as well. God can use this suffering for good, for example sin shows us we are imperfect and need Him. Also how can we know are faith is sincere unless it is tested? The book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is really good at explaining all of this.
These verses kind of explain what God has done and what he will do about these things.
Isaiah 42:3-4,7
He will not crush those who are weak or quench the smallest hope. He will bring full justice to all who have been wronged. He will not stop until truth and righteousness prevail throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.... You will open the eyes of the blind and free the captives from prison. You will release those who sit in dark dungeons.

Isaiah 53: 3-5
He was despised and rejected- a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by, he was despised and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was wounded and crushed for our own sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!

Hope this helps!

Another book to look into is that of Job. It illustrates, in the best way, what God does in the face of our "sufferings". =)

1st u gotta understand that God doesnt cause things to happen. He allows things to happen to benifit someone or multiple someones. How u ask. Well ill list a few reasons that i can think of below;

1) It brings privilaged people to Christ by realizing how blessed they are.

2) Look at all the previously completly un Christian nations that are 3rd world. India for example. Through missionaries there is now a single church on an island in India that for hundreds of years had absolutely no representation of the Christian faith in any denomination. There are now churches in other countries that previously had no Christian representation. Imagine all the people going to Hell. But through there suffering, Christian people saw the need in those lives, went to help, and shared the gospel. Now churches are opening, things are improving in there lives, and when the missionaries leave, Lord willing, they will have trained Christian "soldiers" to lead other people to Christ.

3) Sometimes it takes bad things happening to make something great happen. Look at AIDS in Africa. Thousands or more people in Africa die of this disease every year. Missionaries go over there to help, educate, and research as well as preach and provide gospel instruction. Now, not only are people getting saved, but people are learning how to prevent this disease, infection rate has dropped in most countries, and the impossible has been started. There is now a vaccine that is 40% effective against AIDS and HIV. 40% is not a total cure, but its one giant step for modern medicine that could be one of the greatest in history. It all started through a bad thing, a deadly disease, and Christian people who decided to do something to help.

God uses these bad things, no matter what they are, for his benifit. On the news you always here the bad, (ex. starvation rate rises to all time high in the country of _____________, new studies show that 1 in 23 kids in the country of __________ are abused daily, ect.) but you dont always here the good behind the scenes, (ie. 4 churches opened by missionaries in the country of ______________, 567 people saved at a church service in the country of _____________, ect.) God said that he would never put any more on a person than they could bare and with that they would provide a way of escape. God promised never to put us in a situation that we couldn't come out of. And Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. He uses this stuff to make people rely on him and to put people in our way to show us that. If nothing bad ever happened there would be no need for missionaries or others who sacrifice to help others in need in the name of Christ. Even though u dont realize it now, God uses these things for benifit. He said that he would sacrifice a body for the saving of the soul. Everything is going to work out in Gods time. And remember, we arent supposed to question God or ask for explanations to these kinda things. God knows what he is doing. We dont know y cuz if we did we could try to change it and then we would mess up God's plan. Just pray hard and study your Bible. Ill be praying for understanding for you.