Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

Bad things do happen therefore there are a few conclusions we can draw:
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1. There is no God in operation (things happen as they happen)
2. That if there is a God "he" is powerless to stop bad things
3. That if there is a God "he" has a purpose in bad things happening

 
 
We will not address the first point mainly because this is a Christian article & presupposes God, yet let us just say if there is no God in operation then humans should do whatever it takes to secure their individual happiness & security despite any societal collective.
 
Option #2 is advocated in many forms, even by Christians themselves.  Some forms of God's supposed powerlessness come as:
 
 

1. God is unable/unwilling to override the "freewill" of one even for the good of another
2. God no longer works directly in the lives of individuals

 
 
In either case, such a God is hardly to be considered in our daily lives.  If God is unable or unwilling to look out for our best interests then it is only reasonable that we ultimately take care of ourselves & only give God passing attention if any at all.
 
 
Option #3 is embraced by many Christians to varying degrees of understanding.  Some of those degrees include:
 
 

1. God's ways are too mysterious & so explanation should never be attempted
2. Bad things happen as punishment or trial
3. God uses even bad things to bring about good conclusions

 
 
Point (a) is probably the most often invoked response because it allows the person to give God due credit as God but also allows the person to not really answer the question.  Indeed, there may be events in life that seem to have no explanation but God did not give us an entire Bible simply to mask Him & His character behind a cloudy veil.
 
Quoting verses like Is. 55:8-9, though true about God seem to be misapplied every time a person can't explain something.
 

 
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.
-- Is. 55:8-9
 
 
Christians often talk about being in or having a "relationship" with God, yet a relationship typically entails knowledge of the character & nature of those in the relationship.  The Bible is less about humanity than it is about the character & nature of God.  So, to say we can't "know God" is actually against the very purpose of the Bible.
 

As for point (b), this is often depicted in religions other than Christianity, wherein a god must be appeased by some sacrifice or some ritual or the god will strike back against the negligent people. 
 
Is this how the God of the Bible is depicted?  Certainly, there are some conditional aspects to God's character & nature where He calls or commands humanity to do something or keep some commandment or some bad thing will befall them.  Among some liberal Christians, God is never depicted in this manner – they have Him always "unconditionally loving" just about everyone if not everyone.  But is the God of the Bible really that promiscuous with His love?
 
The God of the Bible is neither like the pagan gods that He would simply dole out punishments or petty trials, nor should he be depicted as having no conditions for His love…after all God declares:
 
 

 
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
-- Deu 4:24
 
 
Jealous of what?  Of people giving attention to things other than Him; be it idols of wood, stone, or metal or idols of self, money, pursuits, or others. For those still in doubt that God wants all the attention, honor, & glory let them read & try to reconcile this verse:
 
 

 
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
-- Mt 10:37
 
 
However, to see every bad thing that happens as a punishment or trial from God would not be within the revealed character & nature of God.  Take for example this account that speaks directly of the issue.  Jesus & His followers were walking when His followers saw a blind man, blind from birth & assuming like many people would, they assumed the man did something to deserve this fate.
 
 

 
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.
-- John 9:1-3
 
 
Notice that Jesus said the reason this man was like this had nothing to do with the man's "sins" or his parents "sins" but the man was made blind for a specific purpose (not just God passively letting it happen) and that the purpose was simply so…well in modern terms…so that God could show off.  That explanation is repulsive not just to non-Christians but even to many Christians who would rather keep the purposes of God as vague as possible or make Him out to be an all-loving yet powerless or hands-off bystander in the sky.
 
 
Point (c) as already hinted to in the answer to point (b) is the one which I believe the Bible supports. It is this conclusion that gives God the most attention, honor, & glory – the very things for which He says He is jealous.
 
There are many examples of how God  did not simply "let" or "allow" bad things to happen in the Bible but actually initiated some of the bad things for the good purpose.
 
Some as we already pointed out John 9:1-3 also include these examples:
 
 

Joseph's brother's sold him into slavery & told his father he had been killed by a wild animal, yet Joseph went on to help secure food for his family in a dramatic time of starvation where his family would have otherwise died.  The Bible answers why.
 
 

 
But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
-- Gen 50:20
 

Job, minding his own business is pointed out to Satan by God.  Satan is given permission from God to torment Job.  Job thinks this is unfair & complains against God.  God declares He is God the Creator & can do what he wants with His creation even if we think it is unfair. Job repents.
 

 
Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said:  "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?   He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
-- Job 40:1-2
 
 

There is the account of twin brothers where God "loved" one & "hated" the other – before either were even born & had done either "good" or "evil".  The question is then asked, is God unfair or unjust?  The answer again is that God, like a potter fashioning vases can decide which one He wants to esteem & which He does not. (Granted this account has even deeper meaning than this, but the original meaning still stands & reveals the sovereign character & nature of God to do as He pleases).
 
 

 
You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?"  But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"
-- Rom 9:19-20
 
 
Perhaps this is the first time you have seen God depicted in this manner.  Perhaps your entire life you were taught about an almost powerless God that could only "let" or "allow" things to happen but in no way could He really do anything about it & impose upon the "freewill" of mankind.  What is the so-called "freewill" of man in the face of the God of the Bible?  The God we have seen depicted in these verses is a hands-on God that doesn't merely allow things to happen (whether good or bad) but causes or uses things that happen for His own purposes.
 
I know this may not always be comforting to people, especially when we suffer such horrendous things that we want to curse God (as Job cursed God).  How in the world can some of the things we endure be the "will of God"?  Perhaps we would rather not believe in such a God…and that is exactly what some people do…they instead create an alternative god, like the powerless one…simply to let Him off the hook of being "guilty" for letting bad things happen.  They can accept this fictious god they have created, but they cannot tolerate the God of the Bible that does what He wants with His creation.
 
I know this is a difficult thing to embrace, but it is the Bible.  It is the character & nature of the Creator God to do as He pleases with His creation.  Fortunately there is one more verse I'd like to share.
 

 
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
-- Rom 8:28
 
 
You see, to non-believers events may seem to happen for no purpose but for those who love God, all things work together for good – according to God's purpose.  We can take comfort in that even during the most tragic events, God has a purpose.  What if just one soul is saved by the physical & temporal events that we deem as "bad things"?  Would it be worth it?  Think again about the blind man, blind from birth no doubt having lived an impoverished & miserable life begging for all that he could get – for what purpose was this man made such?  Jesus said for one purpose: "That the works of God would be revealed in him".

 
Can you…will you accept that answer & purpose?  If you can, then your "relationship" with God is stronger & deeper than most.