WHERE IS GOD WHEN THE WICKED PROSPER?

     

Does life seem to be a cycle of hardship and blessing?  As the song says, "good times, bad times, you know I had my share..." What happens when the bad times linger longer than the good times or, worse yet, seem to never end?  

       Does it ever appear to you, some have more than their fair share of good times while others seem to live in a perpetual state of bad times?  Does it seem, sometimes, those who do everything wrong manage to receive an inordinate amount of blessings while those who struggle to do the right thing continually struggle through life?

       It hardly seems fair when certain televangelists prosper and enjoy long life while, every week, good, solid, God fearing preachers lose churches due to finances or other hardships life sends along.  

      Crooked politicians continue to prosper with no accountability  while regular hardworking citizens almost never manage to get ahead.  

      Where is God in all this?  Does God not realize the inequities taking place, or does He simply not care? Is God, possibly, not able to set these things right?

        Scripture tells us God is sovereign: Psalm 97:9 - For you, Yehova, are Most High over all the earth, you are exalted far above all gods.  So we know where God is in all this, He is on His throne.  

          So, is He blind to the plight of so many?  Not according to scripture:   Hebrews 4:13 - Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

        So, could it possibly be true God simply does not care? Again, Scripture says otherwise: 1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

       So, God is ultimately in control, He sees our struggles, and He cares for us... yet good people continue to struggle while the wicked prosper - so can we conclude God is not able?  What does the Bible say about this? 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 -  "Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all" 


      So, if we agree God is real and the Bible is His revelation to us about Himself, we must conclude God is sovereign, He sees our struggles, He cares about us and He is able to do anything He chooses.  What's the deal?

       Apparently, the Psalmist Asaph struggled with the same question: Psalm 73:3 - I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked.  In fact, the first half of Psalm 73 is Asaph sharing his bewilderment of the prosperity and carefree lifestyles of the wicked.  It is only when Asaph begins to look at things from a spiritual perspective that he gets it.

          Psalm 73:16-17 & 27 - When I tried to understand all this it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.  Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.

          God never promised us a trouble free or easy life. In fact, scripture makes it clear we are living in a world ruled by Satan.  Who will prosper in Satan's kingdom?  Those who do his will.  God's kingdom is to come.  Christians should expect to face hardship and adversity living in a world ruled by our mortal enemy.

            Ultimately, God wills none should perish, so our disposition toward the wicked should not be gleeful expectation of their impending doom but a desire to share with them the truth of the Gospel of Christ.  

             This brings us to this curious passage: Romans 9:22-23 - What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—

         This passage suddenly becomes clear as we realize God has a purpose in allowing those whom He knows will never repent to prosper in this life. As the wicked become mighty and powerful on the earth, disdaining and even cursing God, there approaches a day when the mighty and the powerful will bow before Christ in judgment and declare their own worthlessness.  Those who prospered at the suffering of others, having rejected Christ, shall be thrown into the lake of fire. 

            We know the end result of the wicked is destruction, but what about the faithful who suffer?  What about those whose lives are cut short because they did the right thing or who suffer loss because the righteous path was chosen over the crooked?  Romans 8:18 - I consider that our present suffering cannot compare to the glory which will be revealed in us.

              Scripture assures us, the life to come will be so glorious, this life, with all it's hardships and injustice will seem like nothing at all.  Thus, we can heed the advice of Jesus to John the Revelator, given at the end of John's great vision of the coming apocalypse: Revelation 22:11 -   Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”   Rest assured, God sees, God cares and God will set all things right, in his time.  

Now, go live as Christ.... and give the devil hell!