Why? Part 1: A Very Good, Perfect World

To understand why bad things happen to good people, we must start by finding a point in time when bad things did not happen to good people.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" - Genesis 1:1 (NLT)

This familiar Bible passage continues with God's creation of light, day, night, atmosphere, land, water, vegetation, stars, sun, moon, and animals.

No Chores in this Camp

In a world of very good things, vegetation and the food that came with it was robust and readily available. No digging, hoeing, or watering in this camp. Hungry? Let's take a walk.

'When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. Instead, springs came up from the ground and watered all the land.' - Genesis 2:4-6 NLT

• Imagine every plant being watered from underground springs without need for manmade irrigation.
• Vegetation that grew fruitfully without need for cultivation.
• Rain did not exist until Genesis 7 when God sent rain to flood the earth due to an excess of sin. No rain? No storms. No storms? No seasons. No seasons? No hot or cold.

It's Nice to be King Adam and Queen Eve

Man and woman as one. No late night quarrels here.

""So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.23“At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’ ”This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame."" - Genesis 2:21-25

Everything a guy or gal might need at their fingertips.

'Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.' Genesis 1:29-30 NLT

Only Three Responsibilities

Sounds like fun.

'Then God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.'" Genesis 1:28 NLT

Plus a Stark Warning

Seems simple enough, hard to go wrong here.

"The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, 'You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.'" Genesis 2:15-17

And the Topper: God Strolls in the Garden Too

What a blessing it must have been to hang-out with God in the garden! Then again, how would Adam and Eve know it was a blessing if they had never known a world without God as their Father and protector?

"When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?'" Genesis 3:8-9 NLT

The World was Good, Really Good

• Daily walks with God.
• Great food at your doorstep.
• Never a cold or hot day, just gentle breezes.
• No shame, no clothing.
• Perfect companionship.
• Only 3 responsibilities, plus don't eat fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day." - Genesis 1:31 (NLT)

So Far So Good

In the beginning, bad things did not happen to good people.

Spoiler Alert: Adam and Eve soon get into a bit of trouble, and we are still paying for their mistake.