Why does a good God allow evil to happen?

In a world where there is evil such as poverty, death, disease, brutal/disgusting acts, etc. this is a good question: Why would a good and loving God allow vile and wicked things to happen when He has the power to stop it all?

God did not program mankind to be lifeless robots; humans have what we know as “free-will.” Humans choose to do evil which hurts other people, often out of greed. Let me reiterate: evil acts are done by people, not by God. In fact God commands us to not act wickedly, yet people do the opposite which creates consequences.

[Deuteronomy 11] (26) “Behold! I set before you today a blessing and a curse: (27) the blessing, if you obey the commandments of YHWH your God which I command you today; (28) and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of YHWH your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known.

If God is powerful why doesn’t He stop the wicked things that are being done?

As humans there is only so much we understand. There are cases in which God intervenes and stops wickedness from happening, and other cases in which God allows wicked things to happen. We can only see “the now,” God sees the “bigger picture,” our pasts and our futures. There is often meaning behind suffering; it part of a bigger plan. Sometimes good comes out of suffering, and often we learn from suffering. Seeing suffering brings out compassion in people and helps us to understand how evil acts of wickedness actually are. People become our living examples of what greed and wickedness in humankind causes and how one act of wickedness can harm many people. In fact, the Earth has more than enough resources, food, and water for every living human being. It is greed and wickedness that causes suffering, poverty and death.

[1 Timothy 6:10 NKJV] "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

[Romans 8:18 ESV] "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Alternative rendering:

[Romans 8:18 NKJV] "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."