Dear God, Why Do the Wicked Prosper? … Hello Hump Day readers. It’s been an interesting week with politics, weather, gun shootings, yellow journalism, border control, high prices at the pump/grocery stores—need I say more? Yes, I will—the debt ceiling. I find it interesting that our politicians cannot find any common ground to keep us from default. Of course, if we default, they get their paycheck, so, who takes the brunt of their inability to work together and solve the problems? Our military and veterans, Social Security, Medicare, millions of Federal workers—except the politicians. This brings me to the title of today’s Hump Day devotion so hang on to your camel, we’re diving into a mud-hole and it’s gonna’ get messy!

Are you one of the millions out there who wonder why wicked/bad/nasty people prosper? If we are honest with ourselves, it irks us at best and for some it is a firecracker just waiting to be lit. Even Asaph, the Psalmist admitted his thoughts and feelings in his Psalm 73: 1-10, (from the Message translation because it talks like we talk) on this saying:

“No doubt about it! God is good—good to good people, good to the good-hearted. But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness. I was looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top, envying the wicked who have it made, who have nothing to worry about—not a care in the whole wide world. Pretentious with arrogance, they wear the latest fashions in violence, pampered and overfed, decked out in silk bows of silliness. They jeer, using words to kill; they bully their way with words. They’re full of hot air, loudmouths disturbing the peace. People actually listen to them—can you believe it? Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.”

Like Asaph, we all struggle with the age-old question of why wicked people prosper. But notice something Asaph caught in his derision, “I nearly missed it.” In his angst he took his eyes off of God’s goodness and embraced anger. It’s easy to do, isn’t it? Currently, we have a U.S. Representative who has spewed countless lies, has hurt people and deceived the people who helped him win. He flaunts his ungodly lies and deceit like it is normal—after all, isn’t he just climbing the ladder to success like anyone else? But—he’s wrong. Every time I see the guy’s face I want to up-chuck; and I ask God “why is someone like this allowed to do this?”

Like Asaph, we wonder how long he’s going to get away with it. We demand God tell us why God is not intervening—after all, this guy is a liar and a cheat, he shouldn’t be able to get away with this!! And then it gets quiet between us and God as we look at ourselves in the mirror and realize wickedness, lying, cheating, etc., are all a part of us and whether we rarely  act this way or not, we have all sinned—grrrr—that still doesn’t seem right. We cry out: “Hey God, he is much worse than I am” but the verdict stays the same, we are all sinners so it’s a level playing field. Ouch—I don’t want to be like that politician, but we all swim in our own sinful soup.

Isn’t this a fun devotion? Well, here is the good news to lift our souls. It’s from King David, who also was conflicted with ‘why nasty folks get away with it’. In Psalm 5:6-8b [NLT] he gives us this encouragement: “You [O God] will destroy those who tell lies. The Lord detests murderers and deceivers. Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house; I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe. Lead me in the right path, O Lord…”

When we see such godlessness in others, we must remember they have chosen to do whatever they want instead of choosing to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. We need to choose the way of Asaph and David; let’s go to the house of the Lord where we find grace, strength, mercy, and forgiveness for our sins (so we in turn can forgive others).

Asaph’s commentary on this subject is one we should memorize: “So I took my questions to the True God, and in His sanctuary I realized something so chilling and final: their lives have a deadly end. Because You have certainly set the wicked upon a slippery slope. You’ve set them up to slide to their destruction.”

OK, it’s good to get this sticky subject off my mind and heart. Yet, I know for each of us it will return again and again as we experience greed, lies, avarice, etc. When this happens, keep the “big picture” in mind, which is: We are all sinners but when we place our lives in Jesus Christ, we’ve made the right choice, we are forgiven and filled with a grace we do not deserve. Oh Hallelujah—AMEN!