We have recently started our rehearsals for our upcoming production of J.B.-A Play in Verse by Archibald MacLeish. Throughout the first scene, Nickles (who dons the SatanMask for the section between Satan and God) repeats a section of a poem several times:

I heard upon his dry dung heap
That man cry our who cannot sleep.
"If God is God He is not Good.
If God is Good He is not God;
Take the even, take the odd,
I would not sleep here is i could
Except for the little green leaves in the wood
And the wind on the water."

It is the second group of two lines that begs description: "If God is God He is not Good. If God is Good He is not God." In other words, the character states, "If God is truly God (i.e. All powerful) then he must not be good (i.e. Just). On the other hand, if God is in fact Good then he can't truly be God." When thrown through the mirror of Job's life, this statement becomes clear. God himself stated that Job was a perfect and upright man and also said that his destruction was without cause. How can this be if God is truly a Good God? Why does an all-powerful God allow bad things to happen to good people? Even more repulsive to some is why does an all-powerful God allow good things to happen to evil people? Both of these can be summed up with a single statement: Because God is who he says he is.

Yes, God is all-powerful. Yes, God is just. But, God also has given humans choice. Look at the story of Job...God is not the one who destroys Job's family or property...it is Satan with God's permission. In today's world, it is not God who starts wars, drops bombs or murders individuals...it is humans operating under the free will given to us by God.

When God gave us free will, it was in his infinite wisdom. If we have free will, and still choose to love Him, it is a true love. If we had not been given free will, and have instead been forced to love God, the love would not be genuine. You can try that with anything...think back to when you were a kid...were you ever forced to do something like soccer, basketball, piano, violin, flute, etc, by your parents? If you're like most, you probably resented being forced to do it. If, however, you had been given the free will to choose whether or not to participate, you may have truly enjoyed the activity. However, because you weren't given that choice, it became something you loathed (and sometimes something that you held a grudge about for years).

So, yes, God is Good (just) and God is God (all-powerful). They must exist together.