“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.” (Psalm 73:2-5 KJV)
Have you ever noticed how the ‘wicked’ and as yet ‘unredeemed’ people of the world tend to have some pretty amazing luck? How many times have you heard a believer ask “I am redeemed through Christ and I try to do good works for the Lord, but why is it I keep having major problems while I see so many wicked evil people doing so well?” It sure does seem that way at times, doesn’t it? This world is being ruled to a certain extent by Satan until Christ’s returns and bounds him for 1000 years. Anything that goes against the world system, or the worlds way, is going against the wind and it causes turbulence.
God loves people unconditionally right? Does he not love a person that is yet, unredeemed and who has not accepted Christ? The Bible is clear that God loves everyone, sinners included, unconditionally. And you know what? If a person is not recognizing their sinfulness and is asking God for mercy, saying to God “I WILL pay you back”, that person is trying to buy their way to freedom from their sin debt. That will NOT save that person. However, does God have the right to help them from their financial situation in compassion? Look at this Scripture,
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5: 43-48 KJV)
These are the very words of Jesus instructing us how to behave and live for God. This is how our attitude should be. He tells us here that God loves the unredeemed too and He sends good things to both the wicked and the good. Jesus is telling us plainly that this is how we should be treating others, both believers and non believers, after our Salvation. Where would we be without the forgiveness that God obtained for us through Jesus Christ? We would be hell bound for eternity my friend. Thank God for His forgiveness, now go and forgive others and God will highly respect that as He works through you to a lost world.
You have trouble while the wicked seem not to have troubles? Understand that God has given you ALL THINGS through Christ. You are Heaven bound forever. But what of the wicked and unredeemed? They may be having it good now but it is fleeting. Be encouraged because Christ said ,
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 KJV).
The word ‘tribulation’ used here in the original Greek is the word ‘thlipsis’ which has a meaning of ‘pressure (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that “hems someone in”; tribulation, especially internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined, a feeling of no way to escape” .
With the Holy Spirit residing withing us we are bound to go against the grain of the world system as it is today because it is an ungodly world system right now. And it will continue to be until Jesus returns to Earth to rule and reign. As believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit guides us and renews our minds over time and we start to see things through God’s eyes and not the worlds eyes. We need to have a heart for the lost. Do you not remember that you were once lost too?
One side of the coin is that the wicked prosper because God is good to the unbeliever and the believer. The other side of the coin at work is Satan and his fallen angels. The Bible calls Satan ‘the ruler of this world’ (John 12:31) And Satan is perfectly fine with a person that either rejects God altogether, or a person that bases his status with God on their own self effort and good works. Satan love sit when people do all kinds of ‘religious things’ and ‘rituals’ and ‘penance for sins’. He loves it when people compare themselves with others as a standard of righteousness instead of comparing against the true standard, our Holy God. He loves it because these people are having the same sin that Satan has; the sin of pride. It is all about self effort and self righteousness. If you think about it a moment; will Satan and his fallen angels work to continue them in prosperity and keep their mind off God, or give them troubles in life?
You see, it is a funny thing about life troubles. Many times it is only in these life troubles that people tend to cry out to God for help. We realize the trouble is way out of our control. When we are at the very bottom , there is only ONE way to look and that is UP! Up to God for help. Satan does not want people turning to God or thinking that maybe there is a God who will help me, who loves me. So, as ruler of this world Satan and his fallen angels may be assisting these people in being successful in the worldly and unGodly system, in which we live. And this being the case, if you are having troubles in life that just seem to gnaw at you and you are fighting one battle and then into another. You need to know where it is coming from. It is like Jesus says,
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12 KJV)
Rejoice when you are being persecuted and people say all kinds of evil things about you? When they gossip about you and falsely accuse you? Why rejoice in that? Because God has given you ALL THINGS.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 KJV)
At the Rapture you will be as Jesus is! Immortal. Blessed for ever. The wicked do not have this long term blessed hope. All they have is FEAR in what is coming for them. But believers in Christ do! Jesus says to be exceedingly GLAD! GREAT is your reward in heaven!
This world and world system is fleeting. Most people have a life span of maybe 90 years? Most only around 70-80 years. What is that amount of time verses forever and ever and ever in the presence of God, with no more fleshly sinful mind in people? Where everything is a pure blessing. Where there will be no more tears even? At the moment of a persons Salvation our inner nature became a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) A heaven bound creation. We are just waiting for our bodies to be changed and then ZAP!.. we are in the presence of Jesus forever in immortality.
