Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

When pain and disappointment hit hard, even young hearts seek to understand why. Chris Morphew has responded to the age-old question in his excellent little book This small but powerful volume certainly would have helped me when I broke my neck at an early age­—I was desperate to make sense of it all as I searched the Bible for answers. Thankfully, Morphew’s book addresses the tough topic about God’s goodness in a world of great suffering, and he does it in a winsome, easy-to-read way. Yes, it’s for young people, but I’m recommending it to people of all ages—and I commend this remarkable book to you! | Suffering, sickness, betrayal, racism, war—all make us ask, ‘Why is our world so broken?’ Chris Morphew gives us gospel responses—not just to answer the questions in our heads but to address the issues in our hearts. | Chris Morphew is like Tim Keller for teens. In this short book, he tackles some of today’s tough questions with Scripture, wisdom and clarity—and just the right amount of fun to keep young readers turning the page. I cannot wait to put this book into the hands of my three children. | Chris is the teacher you wish you had. He gets where you’re coming from and takes your questions—and you—seriously. If this is your question, or if you just want to know more about God and the meaning of life, this is the book for you. | What an excellent series—seriously excellent! I am certain Chris Morphew’s chatty style, clear explanations, relevant illustrations and personal insights will engage, inform and equip tweens as they work through some of the big questions they and their peers will be asking. | Bad things happen all around us every day. Perhaps bad things are happening to you or someone you love right now, and you’re asking why a good God who is in control of all things doesn’t just stop all the badness. Well, I think you’ve found your next book to read right here. Reading a Chris Morphew book is like sitting with a friend with an open Bible between you, asking all the tough questions that are on your heart and getting solid, straight, honest answers that line up with God’s word—answers that bring you to the light and hope and truth of Jesus. I love friends like that! | Being a teen, I did not feel that this book was even childish for me. I learned so much in the few pages that it contained. I think my favorite part of this book was when Morphew said; “that the problem in Eden was not the fact that Eve ate the fruit, but it was the choice she made.” He said this because true love is a choice, isn’t it? This was such an amazing read. | The Big Questions series for middle graders respects their questions and offers answers with respect too. Throughout the series, the author (a teacher and school chaplain) connects with young readers with a conversational tone, excellent examples to explain his points, and—perhaps most important—a deep understanding of their questions. | Chris Morphew is an author, teacher, and school chaplain living in Sydney, Australia. He's the author of the Big Questions series, as well as over 20 novels for children and youth, including his six-book young-adult series The Phoenix Files. Chris enjoys Mario Kart, obscure board games, and superhero movies. He has been told he looks like Chris Hemsworth from the back.