Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

Why do bad things happen to good people and bad people have it easy? This a question that I think everyone get's at one point or another in their lives. It would seem in the world today that sin and evil are exalted and good and holy are trampled upon. Now God has His own mindset and His own plans remember the scripture from Isaiah, 
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your way, and my thoughts than your thoughts..." (Isaiah 55:8-9) 
If this is the case and Gods ways are not always understood then we can find comfort that He loves us and would not allow us to suffer something if it were not for our own good. But, I'm not going to explain why bad things happen to good people, instead I'm going to tell you why you must not give up despite that question. 


In my recent scripture I stumbled across a cluster of scriptures that enlightened my mind on the subject. In the Old Testament it says this, concerning two different groups of people who handled this question in different ways,
"Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a  book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name." (Malachi 3:14-16)


The first group of people who experienced this decided that giving up and giving in to sin was the easier route, "It is vain to serve God... the proud happy, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered..." It is a little troubling at times to see those who are wicked succeed, but their is a description by implication concerning these type of people, prideful. In contrast it gives the account of the humble followers of the Lord. The Lord hearkened to these people and He recorded their goodness in a "book of remembrance". 


We cannot be the proud and vain who have departed from the path of righteousness because of the easiness of the sin. This is one thing we must not do. Hold fast to that which is good. Finally remember the words of the Savior,
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broadis the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) 
Let's stay on the strait path as tough as it seems so we may have our names recorded in the book of remembrance.