Ok, where was God six years ago on 9-11?

Hello "thirstycar856"

Your question is an excellent one and speaks to the goodness and power of GOD. You may be surprised to know that C.S. Lewis asked the same question in the second chapter of his book,"The Problem of Pain".

“If GOD were good HE would want to make HIS creatures perfectly happy,
and if GOD were almighty HE could do what HE wished.
But the creatures are not happy.
Therefore GOD lacks goodness, or power or both.”.

The answer to your question is in a nutshell, "We live in a fallen world where for the present, evil exists along with good and it will continue that way until the second coming of Christ. " ( Matthew 24-25)

At His second coming evil will be greatly diminished and then later totally vanquished at the Great White Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-21:5) which occurs at the very end of the Millennium. At that time GOD will create a new heavens and new earth where evil will never again exist and GOD will actually dwell among people.

"Then I saw a Great White Throne and Him who was seated on it"(20:11)

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth"(21:1)

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
Now the dwelling of GOD is with men and HE will live with them" (21:3)

1. Behind the question

Most times when a person asks this question there is another thought behind it (Conscious or unconscious). It goes something like this, "I want to be happy. If I can't trust GOD to do the right thing for me then I have to trust myself to do the right thing for me."

When we see things like 911 or other terrible and evil happenings we wonder if GOD will let that happen to others HE will probably not stop bad things from happening to me.

We think these thoughts because our view of things is incorrect.

2. Our Perception of GOD
Much of our confusion of how GOD is supposed to act is based on a false grasp of Biblical reality.

Ever since the rebellion of satan (Isaiah 14:12-14) and the consequent fall of man (Genesis 3) evil has existed side by side with good.

GOD has never promised to stop evil on the earth. We want HIM to. We even feel betrayed when HE does not. But that feeling of betrayal is a false one because it is based on a promise that was never made. In a sense we are trying to create a GOD according to what we want HIM to be.

3. Balance

All that we know about GOD and our relationship to HIM must come from the scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16).

On the one hand the Bible does tell us that when we walk with GOD we most often will have a better life. On the other hand we find throughout scripture many examples of people who have been giants spiritually yet suffered without GOD'S apparent intervention. (Job, John the Baptist was beheaded as was Paul, all the apostles were murdered except John for examples).

Why is this? Because at times GOD'S kingdom work and our needs are at cross purposes. For example in the case of Joseph. Terrible things happened to him even though he was Godly in his behavior.

• His brothers betrayed him and sold him into slavery
• Potipher's wife told a lie about him and thus caused his imprisonment

Now if most of us were Joseph we would have felt betrayed by GOD. We may even have given up on the faith thinking something like , "I tried to be a good Christian but it does not work. I am really hurting I'll try something else. who knows maybe I'll find happiness in a different place."

But Joseph stayed faithful to GOD. He saw his faith was a reality about GOD that did not change even when times became unbearable. At the end of his life he said this to his brothers. (Genesis 50:19b-20)

"Am I in the place of GOD? You intended to harm me, but GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

4. The twin towers I once heard someone say that time is a drop in the ocean of GOD'S eternity. We look at things very differently than GOD does. We view a lifetime as if it lasted eternally and judge the value of it from that stand point. The truth is that we will all soon die and one means of death is ultimately not more significant than another. What really matters is where we will spend eternity.

Does GOD offer extra protection to those that follow HIM? The answer is yes. "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10)

Does this mean that GOD will always protect us from harm? The answer is no. All you have to do to see the answer to that is read the book of Job to see that sometimes our good and GOD'S purposes clash.

Billy Graham's daughter was being interviewed and the question was asked her, "Where was GOD regarding the twin towers." I don't have the exact quote at hand but her reply went something like this. We have told GOD that we don't want HIM in our schools, We have told GOD we don't want HIM in our government. We have told GOD that we don't want HIM to be in our public places. And to a large part many people have told GOD that they don't want HIM in their lives. Being the gentleman that HE is GOD withdrew. That is something to think about!

Thank you for your question it is one of those issues that cuts to the very core of a vital faith.

Don (Hebrews 11:6)