[JetAlone]

God's will is not so forceful as to supernaturally reach into the world and kill someone clinging to life, even if by evil means. If it were, and He reached down and destroyed the device every single time, you'd be likely to rebel all the more, calling Him a tyrant! No, this monk was truly no fool, he must have been a wise, simple old man who lived his life humbly doing his best to love those around him.

[JimDabell]

What do you mean by “not so forceful”?

If you mean that it is literally too weak to accomplish this, then this doesn’t fit typical conceptions of deities.

If you mean that it’s more of a preference than something he is insisting upon, then if a person chooses to extend their lifespan it isn’t going against your god’s will.

Is there another meaning I’m missing?

[mlyle]

Eh, this is a pretty fundamental piece of theology. There doesn't seem to be a God that is meddling in everyday choices and outcomes. At least, really bad things seem to be happening that one hopes aren't God's will.

So, pretty much everyone who thinks about this and has a faith has to come up with some compromise. E.g. that there is a deity that has permitted humans free will to make their own decisions and that various bad things happen as a result of that free will / those choices.

[JetAlone]

I think it's on my end. I think I failed to make a crucial distinction between "will" and "allow" here. God does allow us to do things that go against His will. He is not too weak, but chooses not to use all His power to force us to do stuff in our lives because He wants a relationship. He has a preference which, while it may not always be easy to see, is borne out of love and is ultimately better for us than what we might insist upon.