Kind intelligence seems cruel

The Bible is full of “God is kind, God is love, God is patient” but when you look out at the world, you’d think to yourself “That can’t be true.”

If I was an outsider looking into the true Church, I'd say "These people are delusional." I can see how it could look delusional because it's mainly based on personal experience, not reason. The heart and not the mind. Well, maybe 90% heart and 10% mind. God does allow us to understand some of the things He does.

This is where 100% mind takes a person…

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”

― Epicurus

My usual response to that is Psalm 115:16 "The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men." Meaning man made the Earth dark, not God (We usually mistake our need to be known for our desire to know some information, so answers don't really provide anything). I realised that that only applies to sowing evil and reaping evil but I think we've all seen those that sow good then reap evil.

If evil only fell upon those that did evil things, then no one would have this question but because we see evil falling upon the innocent, we say there must be no all-seeing Judge.

This question arises in the holiest of all and the most wicked. “Look at how that good person has suffered all that.” Of course there's no one totally good yet we still all have that sow good, reap good understanding innately inside of us. Indians call it karma.

So this question is in everyone regardless of morals or sanctity. It’s only that believers know God exists because of some personal revelation they have so they’re in a totally different reality. A personal experience of God can't be imparted, explained or given in any way to one that has not experienced it. Paul in this verse didn't bother explaining, he just prayed for an experience for the Church in Ephesus...

Ephesians 3:19 and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

Job 29:4 When I was in my prime, God’s friendship was felt in my home.

When a person experiences that and sees God acting in a way that seems cruel, they enter Job’s category in this question…

Job 30:20 I cry out to You, but You do not answer me

Job was right when he said he hadn't done anything to deserve the evil he got but God said he was wrong to seek to challenge/contend with Him.

Job 42:11 they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him

Most times we bring suffering upon ourselves. That's not what this blogpost is about. This blogpost is about the above verse which is very rare. That's probably why there's only one book of Job and the rest of the books have suffering caused by people's lack of love for God and themselves.

James raises Job's example as an example of patience...

James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Look at how purified this man's conscience was, how circumcised his heart became. When James read the book of Job, he would say "Wow, the Lord is sooo compassionate and merciful." These guys didn't just write as politicians, they really believed what they were saying. I've never met anyone that called the book of Job a show of God's compassion. I think most people see it as unfair.

This is what I was talking about. People have very different reasoning pathways depending on the sanctity of their heart.

Nah, actually James probably said that was compassionate and merciful because he wasn't in Job's position... even Jesus said "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done." So only at the end is the compassionate purpose seen, not in the beginning or middle.

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

A person doesn’t have to ‘suffer’ to have the question "Is God cruel or non-existent?". They can be born in a golden palace and be kept there their whole life like Siddhartha Gautama was kept away from the suffering in the world by his dad. They may have never fallen sick. They may have never lost anyone. They’ll still think that something is very wrong with their existence. Why? The Earth is in separation from God and therefore is in spiritual darkness.

Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility (mataiotés), not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

Here is the definition for that word mataiotés…

Courtesy of biblehub.com (https://biblehub.com/greek/3153.htm)

So it depicts a person wandering from land to land with no fulfilment. This is the life of man. Searching but not finding. Yet what they seek is not far in space or time.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

This “word” is a ladder that creates a portal to God on the Earth. When it is done, when the word is obeyed, connection with God becomes a reality. That ladder is actually the cross on which a good man, Jesus, got what He did not deserve. To get to God or full meaning, we have to firstly believe in His sacrifice on the cross for our sins and secondly carry our own crosses to get to God, as James said... using the example of Job. Both have to be done to escape vanity or separation from God. Belief and endurance.

Belief without endurance is accepting a lesser glory... entry level glory. Endurance without belief is just aimless self-inflicted suffering.

Anyway, the conclusion I came to is this… kindness can sometimes stop looking like kindness the more intelligent the person is.

God is the most intelligent being so what He may call kind, we may not always see as kind.

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

If we can endure ignorance in suffering, we'll get glory.