Why Do the Wicked Prosper?

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.” (Psalms 73:2-5)

When sincere Christians encounter one crisis after another, we tend to ask, "Why do good people suffer?"  It seems so unfair.  But we soon learn from the Bible that God puts trials and tribulations in our lives to discipline and perfect us, to strengthen our faith and to increase our dependence on Him. 

A similar, yet opposite, question believers have often had to wrestle with is, "Why do the wicked prosper?" This is, in fact, what Asaph had in mind when he wrote Psalm 73.  But in verse 2, he confessed that spiritually he nearly gave in, "But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold."   

So, if you have a hard time aligning what you see in life with what you have learned from the Bible, you are not alone.  But note that by verse 17 Asaph eventually discovered the truth, “...till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”  His envy and depression turned to joy and gratitude.  And I think his experience, as recorded in Psalm 73 should be of great encouragement to all of us.   

I believe the wicked, when they continue on their path of wickedness, eventually lose sight of God.  As they grow more comfortable in serving a worldly master, and following the path of least resistance that satisfies their worldly desires and lusts, they can no longer distinguish between righteousness and wickedness.  For those who are most wicked, light becomes darkness and darkness light.  That which is good becomes evil, and that which is evil becomes good.  I won’t highlight the examples, but for those who know the truth, a list isn’t necessary.

It should be sufficient to say, righteousness enjoys righteousness, and wickedness enjoys wickedness. The one cannot tolerate the other, and both are meant to be separate and distinct, each in their own place, as different as the light is to darkness. 

People are quick to judge, and slow to see through the lies and illusions weaved by the wicked.  In fact, lies and illusions surround us, and become a part of our lives even with our best efforts.  When faced with hard truth, we often create a lie for ourselves, and soon believe the lie so completely that it becomes a truth for us, and everyone around us.  The farther we are from God, the more likely we are to spread our lies as truths.  When the world is our focus, we become fixated on the physical.  We turn our backs on God and His spiritual kingdom, Heaven, our true home, and become of the world.

My perspective on trial and suffering is that there’s a big difference in reward between those who never experience trials, and those who do.  That doesn’t mean we should all seek trial and adversity in the hope of receiving a great reward, but when trial comes our way we should not consider it punishment. Instead, we should seek to understand the meaning of it, what we are supposed to learn from it, and then trust in God.

This belief doesn’t explain the consequences of poor choices.  But when moral people suffer, it’s seldom a consequence of poor choice.  Righteous people suffer for the sake of learning, growth and development.  We may not appreciate or understand it, but we can search for the higher purpose behind it.  Such suffering might seem unfair, but I have learned that it encourages and educates.   

“Why me, oh God?” is a common cry of desperate people who seek relief from their trials.  But judging our own misery is no different than judging the trials of others.  Some of God’s children are raised in happy, prosperous families, and some are not.  Some endure harsh and devastating health problems, and some do not.  And the wicked, or those who would trample the name of God in thought and deed, may truly seem to prosper. 

But through it all, we must trust in God that all will be right in the end.

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