Read Ecclesiastes 8:1–13

Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.

Ecclesiastes 8:12

If there is no God, then we have nobody to blame but ourselves for what happens in the world. But if we believe in a good and loving God, we must face the difficult question of why there is so much suffering.

Some people ponder this question and end up becoming either agnostics or atheists, but in so doing, they create a whole new problem: Where does all the good come from in the world?

Other people solve the problem by saying that evil is only an illusion and that we shouldn’t worry about it or that God is in the process of evolving and can’t do much about the tragedies of life. They assure us that things will improve as the process of evolution goes on. Solomon didn’t deny the existence of God or the reality of evil, nor did he limit God’s power. Solomon solved the problem of evil by affirming these factors and seeing them in their proper perspective.

During the darkest days of World War II, somebody asked a friend, “Why doesn’t God stop the war?” My friend wisely replied, “Because He didn’t start it in the first place.” Solomon would have agreed with that answer.

Something to Ponder

How do you deal with the existence of suffering?