Talk Tuesday-Why Do the Ungodly Always Seem to Prosper?

In June 1996, I finally made the decision to repent of my sinfulness and ask Jesus Christ to be Lord of my life. I no longer followed the world but followed Jesus wholeheartedly. I confessed with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in my heart that God raised Him from the dead to eternal life (Romans 10:9-11). It was a struggle, I confess, to turn away from the worldliness I had grown accustomed to, yet the power of the Holy Spirit enabled me to change. I delved into the christian life with gusto. Then three years into my walk with the Lord, the trial came...and it was HUGE. I had NEVER EVER imagined that I would have experienced what faced me at that moment. The pain was so intense that I could not eat nor sleep well. Oh, but I prayed. I prayed and fasted. I sought God night and day. I was on my face. I was in the Word. I heard from God during this period. Psalm 37:18 says that, “God is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” God was so close to me. So, in the midst of my pain, I looked around and noticed that those who were not serving Him-who were not committed to Him-seemed to be thriving. Oh, and that hurt even more. One night as I lay in my bed, I asked Him, 'Why? Why do those who don't serve you prosper?' And He answered me, through Jeremiah 12:1-5:

“You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with You about Your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” Jeremiah 12:1

You see, Jeremiah was called to be a prophet of the Lord from his youth. The Lord even said to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4. Yet because of the call of God on his life, Jeremiah faced much persecution. He spoke against the worldliness of Israel, warning them to turn back to God or face impending disaster. As a result he was ridiculed and ostracized. He suffered, and so he asked, 'why'.

The Lord responded to Jeremiah (and to me as I read):

“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5. Then suddenly, the Holy Spirit brought understanding to my heart. The Lord was training me, preparing me and teaching me how to stand in the midst of the battle. It is in midst of the trial- in our weakness- that we are able to see the Mighty Hand of GOD raised so high above our circumstances that the threat of the valley of the shadow of death fades by the brilliance of His glorious light. It is in the trial that our faith increases and God reveals Himself to us in a new way. If we wait upon Him, if we trust in Him, if we do not allow bitterness and envy to overtake us, we will see His victory. And we are reminded:

"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:1-7

Have you ever experienced injustice at the hands of those who do not fear God? What happened and how has trusting in Him helped you with your faith? Share with us at BGO by clicking on the comments link below. Your testimony not only gives God glory but will encourage someone who may be experiencing a similar trial.