Why Do Good Things Happen To Good People?

June 9th, 2023

by Pastor Andrew Wolfenbarger
06/09/2023

Ruth 2:12 - “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”

Perhaps you have been confronted with this question, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?". One can answer this in many different ways. For example, the Bible says that "there is none righteous, no not one." And Jesus taught, "there is none good but one, that is, God." At the outset, this question is disingenuous. The question should be asked like this, "Why do bad things happen to people who don't appear to be as bad as others?". A more nuanced and informed approach to answering this question might be to say that God can use hard times, adversity, and tests to grow our faith (James 1:2-4). Gold and iron that never enter a furnace are useless to the jeweler and the blacksmith. Yet, another way to explain it is that God didn't design creation to experience tragedy. Sin has introduced all manners of evil into the world, and Adam embraced sin in the garden. Man's sorrow is not the design of God but the byproduct of our sin upon creation.

My question is, "Why do good things happen to good people?" In our verse today, Ruth is introduced to Boaz. He is wealthy, appears to be a godly man, and is a near kinsman. Boaz is the total package, as far as Ruth would be concerned. He observes her gathering wheat in his field and treats her with extreme kindness. He tells her she is welcome to take from his field and that she shouldn't ever consider going to another. Boaz invites her to drink from the water provided for his helpers. After being so welcomed, Ruth asks in verse 10, "Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?" He tells her plainly in verse 11, "It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore." He had heard of her conviction to stay with Naomi and was willing to be used by God to reward her faithfulness.

In this story, I see a wonderful picture of undeserved favor. Boaz had no obligation to care for Ruth like this, but he did it anyway. This type of generosity might also be called grace. I suggest we allow Boaz's grace upon Ruth to remind us of God's wonderful grace upon each of His children.

Here are some questions to consider as we meditate upon this particular event in Scripture:
Why would God ever be good to us?
He knows where you've been. He has seen you at your lowest moment and worst of times. Yet, He has chosen to be exceedingly gracious to every man by offering pardon and peace through Jesus Christ.

Is there an end to His goodness?
You may be saved, which is the greatest gift ever received, but there is so much more than that. Ephesians 2:7 says, "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." The answer to the question above is no! The goodness of God will be demonstrated upon us throughout all eternity.

What does God expect in return for His goodness to us?
There is no way we could ever be as good to God as He has been to us, but we can respond to God's goodness appropriately. We can be thankful and praise Him for it. Psalms 107:8-9 says, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."