Author Archive
Seeking to Understand Bad Things
How are bad things that happen to good people to be understood? They are to be framed in two categories: His nature, and His word. First His Word:
“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” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33). His ways are beyond our comprehension even though mankind has always tried to understand the Porifera of His being.
“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5). If we do not understand these basics how can we expect to understand God?
“Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth And broader than the sea” (Job 11:7-9). In light of this, how are we to respond when faced with things beyond our comprehension. We are to . . . .
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). “Trust,” that is to have “a bold, confidence in.”
“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
These passages highlight that God’s will and purposes are often beyond human comprehension, yet Scripture calls us to trust, follow, and believe in His perfect wisdom. Now, His nature.
We are to interpret the unknown and incomprehensible in light of His:
Holiness – God is morally pure and separate from sin.
1 Peter 1:16 – “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Love – God is self-giving and unconditional in love.
1 John 4:8 – “God is love.”
Mercy – God shows compassion to the needy and undeserving.
Ephesians 2:4 – “But God, who is rich in mercy…”
Justice – God is fair and righteous in all His dealings.
Deuteronomy 32:4 – “All His ways are justice.”
Faithfulness – God keeps His promises.
Lamentations 3:22–23 – “Great is Your faithfulness.”
Wisdom – God applies knowledge perfectly to achieve good.
Romans 11:33 – “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”
Grace – God gives unmerited favor and blessings.
Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved…”
Consider the composite of all of these in seeking to understand the unknown.
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
The Texas floods have left many wondering why bad things happen to good people. The question has echoed through generations, challenging both faith and reason.
Some suffering remains a mystery. Human understanding is limited, and as Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, God’s ways are higher than ours. While we may not always find clear answers, we are assured of God’s presence in suffering and His promise that all things work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
From a Christian perspective, suffering is not necessarily a sign of divine disapproval or personal failure. The Bible acknowledges that the rain falls on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). In a fallen world marred by sin, pain and hardship are part of the human condition. Even Jesus, the only truly sinless person, endured betrayal, rejection, and crucifixion. His sufferings were not the result of wrongdoing, but they had a purpose, redemption.
Sometimes suffering serves a refining purpose. Romans 5:3-4 teaches that tribulation produces perseverance, character, and hope. Difficulties often deepen our faith, humble our hearts, and increase our compassion for others. Job, a man described as blameless, experienced tremendous suffering, not because of sin, but as part of a larger spiritual reality that tested his trust in God.
Job was overcome with a cascade of trouble. What was Job’s reaction? “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21). Job did not understand why God had allowed the things He did, but he knew God was good and therefore continued to trust in Him. Ultimately, that should be our reaction as well.
Job had three resolves: I know my God, my God knows me, Yea, though He slay me yet will I trust Him.
When going through the loss of a person or possession we should view it from three perspectives.
First, consider it from the past with gratitude. Of all the people in the world, thank God you have had the blessing of the person or thing in your life. Rejoice.
Second, look around with grief. You may feel you are the only one to experience, but most people have the same amount throughout life.
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Proverbs 34: 19). Live on the right side of that comma, beyond the “But….”
Researchers have done us a service in evaluating the stages through which we go when we suffer a major loss, failure, or defeat. In progression they are:
SHOCK, DENIAL, ANGER, MOURNING, DEPRESSION in that order. It is important to realize each stage as experienced. Work through each.
Most of us have not only seen people work through these stages, we have had to do so ourselves. Ultimately, while we may not understand every hardship, we can trust in God’s wisdom, justice, and love.
Three, look forward to life being influenced for good. How will the experience enable me to live a productive life for the better.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3: 5, 6).
God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
-Annie Johnson Flint
Christianity and the Constitution
Even as we pause to celebrate the birth of our nation revisionists are extending themselves in efforts to destroy the foundations of faith on which our nation was established. What is their purpose? They profess it to be noble, but anyone who knows even the most elemental truth about construction knows what happens to a building when its foundation is destroyed.
Detractors attack the intellect of those who defend the influence of faith in our founding and exploit occasional misquotes by defenders. They argue correctly that many of the founders were not Christians, but fail to acknowledge their knowledge of, regard for, and subscription to Biblical principles. However, the record is replete with the testimony of legitimate historians who affirm the faith factor. Likewise those closely associated with the founding of our nation testify of the faith factor. Consider these attestants.
The “Father of Our Country,” George Washington, aligned patriotism with political prosperity, religion and morality when he asserted, “In vain would that man claim patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness.”
In a letter from John Adams written to Thomas Jefferson on June 28, 1813, Adams wrote: “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
A vital opinion of the founding our nation is found in the Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States of America, January 23, 1856, p. 354: “The great, vital, and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence and a ratifier of the Constitution in a letter to Elias Boudinot dated July 9, 1788, wrote: “I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as satisfied that it is as much the work of Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament.”
George Washington acknowledged his opinion of the importance of Divine influence in our national emergence in these words regarding the Constitution. “[The adoption of the Constitution] will demonstrate as visibly the finger of Providence as any possible event in the course of human affairs can ever designate it.”
Daniel Webster, who served as Secretary of State under three presidents, noted, “I regard it [the Constitution] as the work of the purest patriots, and wisest statesmen that ever existed, aided by the smiles of a benignant [gracious] Providence… it almost appears a Divine interposition in our behalf…”.
Benjamin Franklin did not shrink from acknowledging his belief in God at work in forging our Constitution. “I have so much faith in the general government of the world by Providence that I can hardly conceive a transaction of such momentous importance [as the framing of the Constitution]… should be suffered to pass without being in some degree influenced, guided, and governed by that… beneficent Ruler in whom all inferior spirits live and move and have their being.”
Having been bequeathed such a legacy, it is incumbent upon this generation to defend it and live so as to show appreciation for it.
In Memoriam
Editor’s Note: It is with deepest sorrow that we share that our beloved friend Dr. Nelson Price was called home to be with Jesus on August 30, 2025, at the age of 94. Though our hearts grieve his absence, we rejoice that he now rests in the presence of his Savior—face to face, where there is no more pain or death.
Dr. Price’s life was a testimony of faith, wisdom, and an unwavering devotion to God and his precious family whom he loved dearly. His legacy will continue to bear fruit for generations to come, in ways known and unknown, as the seeds he sowed in countless lives continue to grow.
Dr. Price was a prolific writer and this website contains only a small sampling of his prose. This website will continue to be updated as his writings are collected, so please check back often. For more collected writings on the legacy of our dear friend, please visit the In Memoriam tab at the top of this webpage.
Also please be blessed by Dr. Price’s newest book, Uplifted: A Journey Through Acts: A Study of the Early Church and its Timeless Lessons for Today. Now available on Amazon for Kindle.
Happiness Is a Byproduct
“Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence. The phrase gives three examples of the unalienable rights which the Declaration says have been given to all humans by their Creator, and which governments are created to protect. The unalienable rights are defined as: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
These rights are “unalienable,” meaning that is something that can’t be transferred or taken away. The source of these rights is carefully noted as being “endowed by their Creator,” meaning God is the source enabling these unalienable rights. Government is not their source, they are a gift from God. They are a birthright which the government is to perpetuate.
Let’s focus on one of these rights: “the pursuit of happiness.”
One Cajun is reputed to have said, “I may not catch that happiness, but I am going to chase the fool out of it.” Most people agree.
If going to pursue a thing it is good to clearly know what it is. Dictionaries define it as “An agreeable feeling or condition of the soul arising from good fortune or propitious happening of any kind, the possession of those circumstances or that state of being which is attended with enjoyment; contentment; joyful satisfaction; felicity; blessedness. It is a good feeling. It is much to be desired.
It is often associated with, but not always assumed that it is the fleeting feeling giving place to giddy laughter.
Practically, it is the beautiful byproduct of a job well done. It is the payoff for achievement.
Before going further it is expedient to expose a misconception. Money can’t buy happiness. Research shows: to a certain level, money can buy happiness if you are very poor. Money can give you the ability to meet your basic needs. But once those basic needs are met, and once you have a basic aspect of security in your life, more money won’t make you happy.
Many feel like the person who said, “Okay, money can’t buy happiness. But, I’d still like to have a lot so I can enjoy my misery all the more.”
In summary the teachings of Jesus are that what is going on inside us is more important than what is going on around us. Thus, happiness is an inside job.
God is not so concerned with our happiness, but with our holiness.
Happiness is not in yourself. Jesus himself said that if you want to find happiness you have to lose your life to find it. A life surrendered to Jesus is a fertile field in which happiness grows. Happiness is not found in seeking it, but in surrendering to the Lord; the byproduct is happiness.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4), and “in your presence is fullness of joy, and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).