Why Do Good Things Happen To Bad People?

Psalm 73:3-5, 16-17, 25: "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 . . . . When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny . . . . Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you."

"Why Do Good Things Happen To Bad People?" . . . . This timeless question continues to present itself to us as we live our lives. As we struggle with life's tragedies and tribulations, we often look at others who we believe not to be people of integrity, basking in their prosperity, and we ask the "question." And the more we continue to ponder this incongruity, we can find ourselves sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of despondency. Some of us can even get to the point that the writer of Psalm 73, Asaph, found himself . . . ready to throw in the towel and simply give up.

Asaph was a key Levite during the reign of David, and he was called to lead Israel in worship (see I Chronicles 16:5). There was a point, however, when Asaph took his eyes off of the Lord and started looking at his circumstances. Asaph knew that the Lord was good (Psalm 73:1); but he began to envy the prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 73:3). Even though Asaph knew that these people did not live lives of faithfulness to the Lord, they seemed to have the Midas touch. Everything that they put their hands to seemed to prosper. Asaph despaired so much that he started thinking that his faithfulness to the Lord was mere vanity (Psalm 73:13). As he tried to make sense of his circumstances, Asaph found himself at one of those pivotal points in life that could have spiraled him into bitterness and resentment toward the Lord for his circumstances.

Then the spiritual leader experienced a personal renaissance when he encountered the Lord again. God reminded Asaph that though He through His longsuffering was delaying the judgment against these wicked men, the day would come when their eternal destiny would be thrust upon them. Even now, as they were gorging themselves on their affluence, the Lord had placed them on a slippery slope that was leading them toward their destruction. Asaph then was able to regain a proper perspective that though this life is not free of disappointment for the righteous, God would restore the joy of blessedness for the righteous in eternity. Asaph also was reminded that the Lord was with him through life, and the Lord was willing to hold Asaph's hand through the journey, although the path seemed perilous, difficult, and unfair (Psalm 73:23).

Asaph then had some repenting to do. He understood that his thinking was "senseless" and "ignorant" (Psalm 73:22). The Levite longed for Heaven, and he recognized that this earth had nothing of desire other than the Lord Almighty (Psalm 73:25). In the end, Asaph knew that it was good simply to be near God. No longer was he frustrated with his circumstances or jealous that others seemed to have better "luck" than he had; rather, Asaph determined to make God his sole refuge and longed to share the goodness of the Lord with others.

This is such a good word for us. How often have we become discouraged because we've looked at our circumstances (and those of others around us) and started to complain that we don't get the "breaks" in life? Our problem is not the Lord; rather it is the fact that we have taken our eyes off the Lord and placed them upon our circumstances. The path of the righteous gets brighter and clearer each day, the more we look to the light source ahead (God) rather than our circumstances (Proverbs 4:18). If you're not seeing clearly, maybe you need to look back toward the Light!

What we need to do is be reminded that the "Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness" (Psalm 86:15). We need to celebrate the Lord, for "out of His great love and mercy He has saved us" (Ephesians 2:4-5). Rather than having a myopic view of our reality, we need to understand that God has eternity in mind when He will bless His redeemed beyond measure. When we by faith trust in Him, irrespective of the circumstances that we face, we will "not fear bad news (but be) steadfast, trusting in the LORD" (Psalm 112:7).

Notice that the words of encouragement to press on in this life come from the Scriptures. This is not mere happenstance; rather it is God's gift to us. The Bible is God's source of inspiration for us as we await our reclamation. It is the power source that fuels our faith and gives us truth to live lives of righteousness. If we are not in the Word, we lose several key elements of our spiritual armour that help us fight off the flaming arrows of the Evil One. Without a daily feasting upon the Word, we lose our first weapon of defense, the shield of faith, that comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17; Ephesians 6:16). We also lose the belt of truth, and we will find ourselves caught with our spiritual pants down . . . which is not a pretty sight (Ephesians 6:14). And our breastplate of righteousness is so weakened that the darts of the Devil can pierce our hearts and bring utter discouragement (Ephesians 6:14). Therefore, we must delight ourselves in His Word, otherwise we will "perish in our affliction" (Psalm 119:92).

If you find yourself struggling in depression because of your disappointments in this life, then "set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4). Also celebrate the Lord who "daily bears our burdens" (Psalm 68:19). We don't have to traverse this life without the Sovereign One. He is with us every step of the way, and He will guide us until the day that He introduces us to "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for us . . . . (which is something we can) greatly rejoice, though now for a little while (we) have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials" (I Peter 1:4-6).

How Are We To Look to Heaven?

Psalm 123:1-2: "I lift my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy."

People demonstrate many different approaches in their pursuit of God. Many today see God as a "friend," who only wants to shower upon us His blessings, without having any expectations of us. Those who embrace such fallacious notions, see God as the proverbial grandfather figure that lets us do whatever we would desire, without consequence.

Conversely, we find in this passage that the psalmist sees his relation to the Lord as one of a slave toward his master. We know that a slave has no rights and is not consumed with his own desires; rather, he is focused on the will of his master and seeks to please him through obedience.

Verse 3 tells us that the psalmist seeks mercy from his Master . . . not self-seeking, self-fulfilling demands; this man wants to receive the blessing of the Master's favor. One can sense from the psalmist that he is consumed with pleasing his Master, rather than the selfish adulation that is so prevalent in our world (and sadly in many of our churches).

Let us never forget that God expects our surrender to Him as LORD. Let us learn from the psalmist's approach as He looks to His Master in Heaven, and may we embrace such an understanding of submission. Surrender is God's expectation of us, and it is only through our capitulation to Him that we will find His mercy, His favor, and His blessing.

Where Do Prayers Go After Offered?

Revelation 8:2-4: "And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand."

In this interesting account of the activity recorded in Heaven, we notice that the prayers of the saints are offered on a golden altar before God by an angel, whose charge it is to offer incense to the Almighty.

We know from Hebrews 8:2,5 that the Heavenly tabernacle is similar to the one constructed by Moses in the Old Testament; and we know that the Heavenly tabernacle was constructed by the LORD, where Jesus our High Priest serves in the sanctuary, ever making intercession for us (see Hebrews 7:25; 8:2). What is quite fascinating from the Revelation 8 passage above is the presence of a golden altar before the throne of the Almighty upon which the prayers of the saints are offered along with "much incense." We know from antiquity that incense was offered by a priest or other religious intermediary as a recognition of and surrendering to a deity. In the case of the Israelites, this was performed as an expression of worship to the One True Lord of Hosts. That "much incense" would be offered by this angel suggests that God truly is worthy of great honor and praise. He is the Sovereign Lord above all others, and exclusively deserving of our exclusive allegiance.

As I ponder this formal episode, with prayers being offered from this "golden censer" upon the golden altar, I wonder to myself, "How many of my prayers are being presented to the LORD? Have I discredited the importance or need for prayer, thinking that God already knows everything and my petitions and expressions of thanksgiving are redundant and a waste of my time and His? Do I fall into the trap that prayers are mere verbal utterances that leave my mouth and diffuse within seconds never to be heard of again? When I begin to think about the ceremonious offering of prayers even now before the LORD, seated upon His glorious throne, my understanding of prayer's importance both in God's loving response to me (see James 4:2) and in my participation NOW in Heavenly worship (Revelation 8:3) is heightened, and I see that prayer is much more than a perfunctory religious mandate. It is the awesome privilege of joining the heavenly hosts in honoring the LORD!

We must never forget that prayer is crucially important as a resource for Divine intervention as well as an opportunity for our eternal praise of the Almighty. True disciples of Jesus Christ are blessed beyond measure to be granted permission to approach the Heavenly throne of God with confidence (see Hebrews 4:16). What a privilege it is that our loving Lord, in His Sovereign Greatness, is willing to grant us the blessing of worshipping Him through our offerings of prayer upon His glorious altar. It is the one way that we can participate in Heavenly worship, while we continue pressing on in this earthly life . . . . awaiting our Lord's glorious return!

God's Word Keeps Us From Sin

Psalm 119:11, 101, 104, 113: "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you . . . . I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word . . . . I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path . . . . I hate double-minded men, but I love your law."

The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119, and interestingly it is also the chapter that lists references to the Word of God more frequently than any other (nearly 200). This chapter therefore could be called the "Word" chapter for its many affirmations of the preciousness of God's Holy Word and the blessings afforded to those who would hear it.

One of the striking revelations from the verses mentioned above is the assurance that adherence to the Word keeps one from sin; in fact, for those who would savor and revere the Word, there arises within their spirit a hatred for sinful paths. So too comes a detesting of double-mindedness. One who loves the Word finds repulsive those who are "fence straddlers" . . . that is, those who have one foot in their presumed faith and one foot toward the worldly enticements that are contrary to the Word of God. There is no equivocation within the person who loves the Lord and His Word, for he finds God's Word more precious than fine gold (Psalm 119:127) and he follows its choice morsels of wisdom without hesitation (Psalm 119:167).

Those involved in sin are those not regularly meditating upon God's Word and obeying its precepts. If you find yourself in such a predicament, then start with meditating upon God's Holy Word and permit the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to convict you and lead you toward the paths of righteousness. God will bless you for your obedience to Him (Psalm 119:1).

What's the Middle Verse of the Bible?

Psalm 118:8: "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man."

In looking through the voluminous information on the Internet concerning the middle chapter and verse of the Bible, I found that the majority of references cite Psalm 118:8 as that verse. What is also mentioned is that there are 594 chapters both before and after Psalm 118. When one adds 594 together, one gets 1188 (which also is the verse above). Whereas the original Scriptures were not given chapter and verse delineations, we do find that this middle verse does give us the summation of what we must understand about a true relationship with God.

Whereas God has given to us His offering of salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, we know that our response to Him must be faithful surrender. Ultimately, we must yield the entirety of our lives to His Lordship. To trust in ourselves and seek our own adulation and satisfaction is the foundation of sin, which is treason against the Almighty! God is Creator of all things and worthy of all worship; when man displaces true worship in favor of himself, he is subject to the wrath of God. This is why Jesus Christ, God Almighty, had to come to pay the sin penalty that we all have committed.

Still, the benefits of God's grace are only granted to those who would kick themselves off the throne of their lives and submit to Christ as Lord and Savior. No matter of perfunctory religiosity will do . . . only capitulation to the Sovereign Lord of Hosts.

Let us not trust in ourselves; rather, let us put our faith and trust in the LORD as our refuge. We will never regret our decision to do so, for the LORD is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from our sins of rebellion.

How Can You Keep Yourself Pure?

Psalm 119:9: "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word."


Purity and integrity are attributes noticeably absent in our modern world. Instead, what we find prevalent are people who are "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:2-4).

Many of these people are so brazen in their wickedness, that their consciences are seared to indifference about their behavior. There is no guilt or shame associated with their actions; for to them, their own satisfaction justifies any behavior that they perpetrate.

For one to live a life of Godliness, being obedient to the One True Lord of Hosts, he must be committed to feasting upon the Holy Scriptures of God and living according to its dictates. If a person is not in the Word of God, he invariably will gravitate back to the debasement of self-idolization that seeks to satisfy its own desires over surrender to the Lord. Still, merely hearing the Word is not enough. We MUST also do what it says . . . otherwise we are just kidding ourselves. (see James 1:22-23).

Examine yourself. Do you find yourself separated from intimate fellowship with the LORD through His Word? Do you only pick up your Bible to take it to church on Sundays? Do you even pick it up then? Is your Bible collecting dust on a shelf? Then don't be surprised if you are experiencing the painful consequences of sin in your life. Sin will be evident when you are not permitting the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to saturate your soul with the directives that will lead you down the paths of righteousness (see Psalm 119:105). Repentance and recommitment might be in order here. Confess your indifference to the Word of God and get yourself into it . . . and start living it. Then watch out . . . for the LORD will pour out His wisdom and blessing upon you truly in magnificent ways.