In this video listen to 2 Samuel Chapter 24, read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 24 we have a census. Here it says God led him to take a census, but In 1 Chronicles 21 it says in the other telling that “Satan” enticed David to take the census. So who orchestrated it? This is a similar passage to Job where Satan accuses Job, God consents, and then later is is seen as God’s action. God allows it because he knows that ultimate goodo will come from it, but he is not the initiator.

Ultimately nothing can happen without God allowing it, but he allows free will and other things because he knows these things are required for ultimate good outcomes. The whole of human history is a similar situation to this. How did evil originate? There will always be people who blame God because without some allowance it  ...