If God Is Good… Why Does He Allow Evil?
Part 2: Why Didn’t God Stop That Tragedy? (Wrestling with the Silence of God)
The Silence That Hurts the Most
Sometimes the question isn’t whether God caused evil — it’s why He didn’t stop it.
- “If He saw it coming, why didn’t He step in?”
- “Why didn’t He warn me?”
- “Why didn’t He protect them?”
For many who’ve walked through devastating loss, trauma, or injustice, this is the most painful question of all. And often, the silence is deafening. Some lose their faith here, not because they stopped believing God exists, but because they no longer believe He cares.
And yet… this isn’t new. In fact, the Bible is filled with voices asking the very same thing.
When God Doesn’t Intervene
The question of God’s silence in the face of suffering is not new — and the Bible doesn’t ignore it. In fact, Scripture gives voice to this very cry.
David, overwhelmed by injustice and pain, cried out:
“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1)
Habakkuk, witnessing rampant evil in his nation, asked God with raw honesty:
“Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises.” (Habakkuk 1:3)
And even Jesus, as He hung on the cross bearing the full weight of sin and abandonment, cried out:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)
So if you’ve ever asked, “Where was God when I needed Him most?” — you’re not alone. You’re standing in the company of prophets, psalmists, and even the Savior Himself.
God’s Presence and God’s Silence Are Not the Same
When we feel abandoned, we assume God is absent. But silence is not the same as absence.
God may be silent — but He is never absent.
He may not intervene — but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t care.
In the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24–30), the master doesn’t rush to uproot the tares, even though they are harmful. He tells his servants to wait — not because the tares are good, but because he wants to preserve the wheat. This was part of a plan and purpose the servants were not aware of, and it didn’t make sense to their logic.
Likewise, God sometimes delays intervention, not out of indifference, but out of divine wisdom. He sees what we cannot. He knows what must be protected. And He allows temporary pain for the sake of eternal purposes.
But that doesn’t mean He’s unmoved…
But Still — Why Didn’t He Stop My Pain?
This is the question that lingers long after the tears have dried — the one that may never be fully answered in this life. Yet Scripture does give us glimpses that help us wrestle honestly and hopefully with it.
First, the Bible makes clear that God gave humans real freedom, and with that freedom came the capacity for sin, selfishness, and violence. Much of the pain in this world is not directly caused by God, but by human choices. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…” (Romans 5:12).
Second, we’re reminded that God’s patience is not apathy — it’s mercy. He delays final judgment so that more people might turn to Him. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Third, God often uses suffering — not to destroy us — but to refine and mature us. Trials test the genuineness of our faith and produce spiritual resilience. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith… may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6–7). And as Romans 8:28 reminds us, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Lastly, we must remember that God sees what we do not. Even when His ways feel hidden, they are never random. Jesus told His disciples: “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this” (John 13:7). Sometimes, understanding only comes on the other side of the pain…
But most of all — take heart in this: God will not let pain have the final word…!
When Pain Pushes Us Away from God
For many, tragedy becomes a breaking point — not just of the heart, but of faith. They feel abandoned, betrayed, or forgotten by God. In their grief or confusion, walking away from Him can seem like the only honest response. But the heartbreak doesn’t end there. In turning from God, they unknowingly walk away from the only One who can truly redeem the pain, heal the heart, and bring lasting justice to what has been broken.
Without God, the pain doesn’t disappear — it just loses its purpose. The wounds remain, but without hope, without healing, without the promise of restoration. As the apostle Paul wrote, “having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12) is a deeply vulnerable place to be.
But when we turn toward God, even if it’s through tears and trembling, something begins to shift. Even the most unanswered questions and the deepest sorrows can become part of a testimony — not of strength, but of grace. David, after his own pain and failure, said with confidence: “You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:3). And Paul reminds us that “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
God doesn’t always remove the pain immediately, but He never wastes it. In His hands, sorrow can become a seed — and in time, it will bear fruit.
PRAYER
Father, I don’t understand why You didn’t stop the pain — or why You didn’t intervene when it would’ve been so easy for You. But I believe You are still good. I believe You care. I believe You were with me, even when I couldn’t feel or see You. Please teach me to trust You in the silence. Use even this pain to draw me deeper into Your love, closer in my walk with You, and that it be a testimony for others who will also grieve like me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Coming Next (Part 3):
If God delays judgment and allows evil to continue… will justice ever come?
In the next article, we’ll explore the hope we have in the promised harvest — when God will judge all wickedness, restore all things, and reward those who have remained faithful.
