The Wicked Prosper

God is good ! He is good to those who keep their hearts pure before Him.
I am so convinced of that now .. but I did not always believe it !

In fact, I almost turned away from God, almost lost my faith in Him !
Why? You might ask….

It happened like this……

I allowed myself to be distracted by focusing on the ungodly around me… the people who did not have faith in God.
And as I watched them .. … I heard their continual boasting about how good life was! How prosperous they were, how they never even experienced fatigue!
I observed how they were not plagued with hardship like the rest of us….and they even boasted of dying without pain!
They wore their pride like jewellery , showing it off !
Everything they touched turned to gold.. everything they looked at became theirs! They had more than they could even wish for !!
They mocked adverse circumstances , which never even came near them! They even mocked the God of heaven , so full of self-confidence they were!

I looked at them and said… “How can this be?? Does God not SEE that the people that are ungodly are always at peace and just increase their riches with apparent ease ??”
Seeing how ‘blessed’ the lives of ungodly people were, I began to question what I was doing wrong !! .. "Here I have taken care to live right, to avoid sin, to do what is right ... but it has all been in vain -- because all I end up with is trouble and punishment !!!"

I tried to understand but it just didn't make any sense to me ... it just seemed sooo wrong and unjust !!!

But then.....

I went to the place where I commune with God ...... and suddenly I saw through HIS eyes... I saw what the end of these ungodly people were.... Yes.. maybe they were enjoying good things now.. but how short lived !! and then all eternity would be pain and suffering for them , if they did not change their ways!!
Everything may be great in their life now, but one day justice - God's wrath - will fall on them and they will get what they deserve and be forever in torment!"

I was soooo humbled and ashamed for my attitude.... and angry with myself …..What WAS I thinking !!!!
I was soo sorry that I accused God without cause, not recognizing His tender heart !!
and I said ....
"I don't want anyone but YOU , Lord, now on this earth and all through eternity.
The wicked are going to perish! What does it matter that they have a few moments of prosperity on this earth.
It IS good for me to trust YOU and stay close to YOU, Lord, that I may tell everyone of YOUR good Works !!!! "

My paraphrase of Psalm 73……..
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A permissive parent's kids may be envied by their peers because they get to do and have everything they want... but then they grow up undisciplined and spoiled and cannot fit into society, cannot commit faithfully to marriage, and cannot do well in their education or their career!
It is not so with God's children .. He is NOT a permissive parent .. He watches carefully over His children to discipline, to chastise, to train, to mature, not only for their 'purpose' on this earth but also for their life with Him for ALL eternity !
Sometimes we may not understand all the difficulties and pain that come our way, but we do know that we have a Father we can trust – one who is working to bring us to maturity so that we will be ready to enjoy our ‘real’ life – eternity with Him on the new earth where only perfection reigns !!!!
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