Having been a pastor, an Army chaplain and in the ministry for many years, I have been led by God through places where I have seen and experienced much pain and suffering.

During World War II and in conflicts in Korea, Dominican Republic, and Vietnam, I saw some of the horrible suffering that this world can inflict upon us. On many of those occasions, I have had to seek God as to why He permitted such things to happen. I have come to realize that conflicts between good and evil can produce good results – if we are obedient to God.

When God ordered Israel to conquer the land of Canaan, He told them to kill everyone living there. To us that sounds shocking. The Jews didn’t understand either. Sometimes they obeyed; other times they didn’t. The inhabitants of Canaan had taken wood, stone or metals and made figures of animals (graven images). Then they worshipped these figures as gods. As a result, the Canaanites had worshipped demons (see Deut. 32:17, I Cor. 10:20 and Rev. 9:20). Worshipping demons led to appalling practices such as human sacrifice. The Lord tells us in Romans 6:16 and II Peter 2:19 that whatever we give ourselves over to, that is what will control us.

God knew the Jews would soon become infected by these same evil spirits if the idol worshippers were left alive. Even the children of these idolaters were under the influence of the spirits that controlled their parents. From God’s perspective the inhabitants of the Promised Land were not the only problem; the spirits controlling them also had to be cast out of the land. Ephesians 6:12 helps us in trying to understand God’s command to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan: We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

God did not trust Moses or Joshua to decide what the Jews should do when they captured the Promised Land. Such radical orders needed to come directly from Him! So, God spoke directly to Moses and to Joshua. To convince the people that He was truly speaking to and directing these two leaders, God gave ample proof to the Jews, by means of mighty miracles, that Moses and Joshua were His chosen men.

Jesus came to give us a new message from God. Through His miracles Jesus gave abundant evidence that He was speaking for God. Jesus’ message was new. It was one of joy, peace, and forgiveness, of love and trust in God.

I Peter 2:21 (NIV) says: To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.

You and I may not understand why something is happening to us; we only need to obey God’s instruction and trust that He is working it for our good. (Reprint from January 1994)