When unexplainable events occur or something bad happens, we often hear people say things like, "Well, God must have a reason for it," or "God knows what He is doing." Looking at things in that way rationalizes a thought process that says, "From somewhere in the cosmic reaches of the universe, God, in His infinite wisdom must have decided to send these difficult circumstances to teach us a lesson."All too frequently the blame gets pinned squarely on God's shoulders for almost any unfortunate situation. We forget to take into account that when someone or something is sickened, lost, stolen or destroyed, it is always the forces of evil at work, not the One who is infinitely good. God does not cause bad things to happen.To (BE)TTER, we must remember that there are always two sides at work in this world. There always has been Jehovah God, our Creator and Author of all that is good, including the Better Life of our dreams, and there is Lucifer with his opposing forces of evil who is bent solely on destruction, producing pain and hell on earth. Throughout the Bible we are given instructions that, if followed, will offer us provision and protection while pointing us in the right direction for our Better Life. If we're going to continue stepping into that new and better territory, we have to acknowledge that one part we play in the process is to nurture and nourish our spiritual understanding. After all, that's what all of us are, spiritual beings with mental and physical capabilities.To maintain a strictly natural viewpoint rules out the supernatural, but expanding our understanding of life's ups and downs is available through regular conversations with God and with others about God, along with contemplation of verses like Ephesians 6:10-12 in the New Living Translation:

"Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of this unseen world, against the mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."Approaching any issue from only what we can see or fully explain, whether it be loss, lack, division, disease or any other number of concerns, will only produce more questions and probably even fewer answers. But if we strengthen our spirit by feeding on the illuminating power of God's words, we will have no problem seeing through the haze of pretentious lies from hell and be able to recognize God's goodness that is available to anyone at any time.