themselves. God wants us tolove Him back for who He is. No one back then, except God, knew what a disaster Lucifer’s alternativewould be. No one knew how much suffering and misery it would create. We had to see that forourselves. That’s the only way God could ensure that evil would never plague the universe again.Planet Earth Joins the Conflict: In the Garden of Eden, when Eve told the serpent Godhad said she would die if she ate of a certain tree, Satan contradicted God and said: “You will notsurely die. . . . For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will belike God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5, NIV. Satan was saying, “You’ll have greaterhappiness if you follow me. God is restricting your freedom.” Tragically, Eve and her husbandAdam accepted that lie. Today we live on a planet in rebellion, a planet full of decay and death.The Origin of Suffering: In Matthew 13:24-43 Jesus talked about a man who planted goodseed in his field, but useless weeds popped up everywhere, leading a servant to ask, “Sir, didn’t yousow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?” That’s the question we all faceat some time in life: If God made this world to blossom for His children, why do we see so manytragic weeds? In Jesus’ parable the master answered that question very simply. He said, “An enemydid this.” It was an enemy of God and man who sowed his seeds of suffering and sin.God Had a Plan: God didn’t abandon the human race because it rebelled against Him. From thevery beginning, He had a plan. If you wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something about the sickness andsin and heartache in our world?”—the answer is: He has done something. He’s given everything in thegift of His Son. He came into the world and suffered with us—and we can some day triumph with Him!. . .#4 - Revelation&...
