Why Does God Allow This?

Q

I would like to know your thoughts on natural disasters. If God is omnipotent and omni-benevolent, why would he allow people, including children, to perish in natural disasters? I know we live in an imperfect world, but surely an all-powerful God could stop these things from happening.

A

Before the Great Flood, there was no hostile weather. It’s one of the effects of sin entering into the world. Therefore the destruction and death that these weather-related disasters cause should be charged to Satan’s account. For the time being, he is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). As long as there’s sin in the world there will be consequences of this sort. And even though God is all-powerful His righteousness will not allow Him to relieve the world of them. This will change at the 2nd Coming when the Lord becomes King of the whole Earth. (Zech. 14:9) In the meantime, adult believers and all children who die in these disasters are taken directly to the Throne to begin their eternity with God.