Potpourri - Why People Who Don't Know God seem to Prosper Just Fine, Part 2

I began this blog last time, so if you haven't read Part 1, please go back before trying to understand what Part 2 is all about.

The problem stated comes from Psalm 73...and the Psalmist wonders out loud in similar ways that we do...

Psalm 73:1-15 (ESV)
¹  Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
²  But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.
³  For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
⁴  For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek.
⁵  They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind…
¹¹  And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
¹²  Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches

That’s the dilemma.

A Lot of people walk faithfully with God, love Him, Obey Him, and Worship Him, but their neighbors are driving new cars, lots of toys and a big house, etc…and they don’t care at all about God.  Why do they seem to get along fine without God, and we not necessarily so?

Asaph’s dilemma continues:

Psalm 73:13-14 (ESV)
¹³  All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴  For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.

What is Needed is a Biblical Perspective

First of all, there is an incorrect assumption about God and what people deserve. 

This assumption runs something like this:  If I love God, I will be blessed… And if I’m blessed then I’ll get God’s provisions.  While those who don’t love God will not be blessed and therefore won’t have God’s provisions.

Jesus had a couple of incidents that occurred that he reflected upon with his disciples.

Luke 13:1-5 (NIV)
¹  Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

Pilate had killed these people even though they were trying to be faithful to sacrifice offerings to God.

²  Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?
³  I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

They weren’t judged by God…God didn’t order Pilate to do the deed…Pilate did it on his own and God had nothing to do with it.  

It’s a false assumption to make that people get what they deserve.

At the same time, the other assumption we need to deal with is that when people are blessed with abundant provisions that it means God is blessing them.

Matthew 5:44-45 (ESV)
⁴⁴  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
⁴⁵  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

God in general does not select who gets the rain and who doesn't.  It falls on all in the path of the rain storm, and therefore all are included.  

But, our struggle is not new…we can’t help but wonder why others?  Job did:

Job 21:7-19 (ESV)
⁷  Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?...
⁹  Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them…
¹⁴  They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways.
¹⁵  What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’ ¹⁷  “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them? That God distributes pains in his anger?

If were honest, we agree with Job. 

God doesn’t make sense at times when it comes to dealing with people who don’t care about him or want to please him..

Yet remember, in the end God rebuked Job’s arguments, as well as the arguments of Job’s so-called friends.  God told them that they lacked "PERSPECTIVE".

They all had a very limited perspective, and don't understand...

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
⁸  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
⁹  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Psalm 103:8 (ESV)
⁸  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

That’s all well and good, but we want that to be true for us, not for others… for them, we want them to get what they deserve.

Well, let's ask that previous question, what do we deserve? 

Lamentations 3:22 (NIV)
²²  Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

We forget that God is gracious in general…loving all.

The assumption that we must overcome is that when people go through difficult things that it means they are being punished by God…

John 9:1-3 (NIV)
¹  As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
²  His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
³  "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

There was that tendency to think that when bad things happened to people it meant God was judging them.  

Now, the question that needs to then be asked is:  "Why then choose to believe and follow God with faith?"  

Aahhh, now we're on the main issue...that next time.

Peace