Who is to Blame for Suffering?

Keys for Kids Daily Devotional for November 12, 2007
TITLE: Who's to Blame?
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 3:14-19; Romans 5:12
AUDIO: listen here
THE STORY FOR TODAY:
Mark rode his bike up the front walk and parked it near the place where his dad was working. "Hi, buddy," said Dad. "Have you been playing with that new boy down the street? Is it Chad, or Chuck, or . . . uh . . . uh . . ."
"Chip," said Mark. "His nickname is Chip. I was just over at his house, and we played for a while. I told him we want to find a good church to go to around here and asked him if he knows of one. Do you know what he said, Dad? He said he doesn't believe God cares anything about us!"
"Really? That's too bad," Dad replied. "Did he say why he feels that way?"
Mark nodded. "He said, 'If God really cares about people, why does He let so many bad things happen-like sickness and death? If He created people, how come He lets them suffer for no reason?' Then Chip listed all kinds of terrible things that happen. I didn't know how to answer him."
"Hm-m-m," murmured Dad. "Well, suffering and death is due to sin in the world. Let's ask God to show you what to say so Chip will understand. He also needs to know that God does love him and all the people in the world."
A few days later, Mark saw Chip limping down the street, and his leg was bandaged. "What happened?" asked Mark.
"My sister pushed me over on my bike," Chip said. "Boy, was Dad mad! She really got it!"
"Does it hurt much now?" asked Mark. Then he thought of something. "How come your dad let you hurt your leg?" he added. "Why does he let you suffer like that?"
"What do you mean, he let me?" asked Chip. "It's not his fault. It's my sister's."
"Well, how come you blame God when bad things happen to people, but you don't blame your dad for what happened to you?" asked Mark. Chip opened his mouth, but he found nothing to say. "It's not your dad's fault that you got hurt," continued Mark, "and it's not God's fault that people suffer. Suffering is due to sin. Adam sinned in the first place, and after that, everybody has sinned. That's why there's suffering in the world." Again, Chip found nothing to say, so Mark continued. "God does love everyone, and if you trust in His Son, Jesus, you'll spend eternity in heaven where there is no more suffering or death."
MEMORY VERSE: The soul who sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:20
HOW ABOUT YOU? When bad things happen, do you blame God? People are given the choice of either obeying or disobeying God's laws. From the beginning of time, man chose to disobey, and the result is suffering and death. Terrible things happen-not because God is powerless or doesn't care, but because mankind chooses to disobey God. The good news is that all who trust in Jesus will enjoy a suffering-free life in heaven. (See the ABCs at the end of this book.)
THE KEY: Suffering is the result of sin