"But the wicked will see none of this. They're headed down a dead-end road with nothing to look forward to—nothing." Job 11:20 (MSG)
I've met people who lied and cheated their way to wealth, power and prosperity and never got caught. I've met a few people who have been sent to jail for cheating. I've met good people who have been blessed with what appears to be a charmed life, and I've met good people who have faced the most horrific of unexplainable tragedies.
I have no doubt that the wicked will get their eternal just desserts. But, there are plenty of wicked people who make out like bandits in this life, just as there are plenty of good people who face the most difficult of circumstances. Z lays out a common argument: if you're good you'll be blessed with health & wealth, and if you're wicked you won't prosper. It seems he uses this argument to say to Job, "You must have done something bad to have these tragedies fall upon you. If you were good, you'd still be blessed." But, all my life experience tells me that's not necessarily true. For every Bernie Madoff who gets caught, there are hundreds of scheisters who get away with their crimes. For every believer who seems to have it all together, there are those faced with horrific tragedies.
It's just not that simple.
Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and robertodevido
13-20 “Still, if you set your heart on God
and reach out to him,
If you scrub your hands of sin
and refuse to entertain evil in your home,
You’ll be able to face the world unashamed
and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless.
I am striving to accomplish this. I am setting my heart on God. There are times with I mull over whether I am living life to God’s glory and facing life unashamed. I think I do most of the time. If God is beside me it will be much easier!
Amen, Amen. It is just not that simple. I like Habakkuk for the whole “why do bad things happen to good people” thing. For instance, my Papa (Grandpa) is now in great pain with cancer all over his bones … he has led more people to the Lord than can be counted. Why does he have to suffer? I don’t know, but I do know that he is at peace with it and is ready to meet Jesus. I’m thankful that I have hope in the Lord and can be at peace with it as well, even in sadness. ~ Rainey