Numerous atheistic arguments against Christianity criticize the actions or character of God. “God must not care about suffering…” “God isn’t doing anything about evil…” “God is not fair…” “God …” Any arguments in this vein are arguing from a place with insufficient information. 

Have you ever been in the middle of reading a book and found yourself asking all sorts of questions of the author? Or even challenging the author’s decision throughout the book? “Why did they do that?” “What are they going to do about that?” “What will happen with this?” “I can’t believe they went that route!” In some cases, these are founded accusations. 

However, I’m sure you have also experienced those moments where you went through that same gambit of emotions and thoughts only to, in the end, find resolutions that made everything okay. What a novel thought! 

What if, for the sake of consideration, we returned to the idea that God is the Chief Author of humanity’s story? Are we really in a position to challenge His decisions? We don’t know the end yet. We haven’t read the whole story yet. Although God has powerfully and wonderfully foreshadowed the ending and even given us much information about His plans for the conclusion. He’s made grand promises to remedy the pain, to amend the heartache, and to right the wrongs. 

We shouldn’t push this view of God as the Author as overpowering human free will or writing the story sovereignly over each human. However, it is true that God has written the conclusion for the groups of people. Those who have bowed the knee to King Jesus will find joy and peace everlasting in the presence of their King. Those who have rejected the King will bow in judgment and go into exile from Him and His joy and peace. 

Job faced some of these same quandaries and conundrums. He was granted an audience with the Author, and the Author reminded him that he is not God (see Job 38-42). The point: don’t criticize the Author until you finish the book.