Why do good suffer and evil prosper?
This is one of the most difficult questions to answer. In fact this question is an atheist’s most potent weapon against the people who have faith in God. The books of Job and Ecclesiastes pronounce it an unfathomable mystery. The author of Job seems to regard the very asking of the question as an offence to God. Explaining the blessedness of God’s chastisement, one of Job’s friends said, “Though He wounds, He also bandages. He strikes, but His hands also heal” (Job 5:17-18). Job puts forward all kinds of detailed arguments for questioning God’s justice but God refuses to reply to his accusations, telling Job only to sit down, shut up, and fear him. Christian life is a race (Hebrews 12:1). Runners get rid of all unnecessary weight when they get set on the track. When unnecessary things occupy us, God gets angry. He is displeased when our pastime steals our prayer time. Even the times of earthly blessings can blur our spiritual vision and make eternal values unimportant. God cannot toler
