136 That Darn Dog
Elmer was a farmer who had trouble sleeping. Elmer's neighbor's dog would be constantly barking at all hours of the day, seemingly without any rest. Elmer could not get any rest.
"That darn dog!" muttered Elmer. He would try yelling at the dog or throwing strawberries at it, but that dog would keep barking. Nothing Elmer tried seemed to work in silencing that dog.
One day, Elmer decided that he would just scare the dog away. He took out his shotgun and shot it in the air. The noise of the shot scared the neighbor's dog and it ran away. However, Elmer's own dog Rex ran away in fear, too!
"Come back, Rex!" Elmer shouted after his dog. However, Rex didn't come back home until a couple of days later.
People have asked at one time or another, why does God permit in Satan's rebellion? Why doesn't God just zap Satan on the spot and destroy him for all eternity? However, if we are to think about the consequences of such an action for a moment, destroying Satan would do far more harm to God's kingdom. For ages, Satan has been accusing God of being arbitrary and unfair. If God destroyed Satan, angels would fear God's wrath and serve Him out of fear of destruction rather than selfless love. The great controversy between God and Satan must be allowed to play out so that the entire universe is convinced of the destructiveness of sin and the purity of God's love!
- Recommended reading: Revelation 21:1-6, Revelation 22:20
