Why Good Things Happen to Bad People

One cannot ask why bad things happen to good people without also feeling the same tinge of injustice when we contemplate why good things happen to bad people. This is the question that anguished the Psalmist. He found himself in terrible distress and agony of soul. He says, "My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold."

The Psalmist was experiencing a very old problem; one that is still with us today. He had begun to observe the prosperity of the wicked. He began to notice that the ungodly, the unregenerate, the un-repented people; those who had no need for God, who did not acknowledge God or believe in God; who did their own thing, lived for themselves, behaved as they pleased, seemed to be having a good time in this world. The unbelievers who made and lived by their own rules, played their own songs, and danced to their own music was enjoying all the wealth and pleasures of the world, whereas he himself, a godly man, was having a very difficult and hard time. He laments, "They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills." Nothing seemed to go wrong with the ungodly. It seemed as if by some special privilege they were exempt from the strains and struggles of daily living. They are always enjoying prosperity. But as for himself, he says, "Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning."

The Psalmist wondered why he was having so many problems and so much trouble in his life, while the ungodly were having none. So he began to think about it and ponder it until it became an obsession. He was on the verge of saying what many of us find ourselves asking, is there anything in religion? Is there any point in trying to live the Christian life? Is it worthwhile trying to live right and do right and walk right? Is there any purpose in trying to live the godly life?

The Psalmist, like all of us, was tempted by the Evil One. Satan wants us to reject Christ and all that He stands for. Envy is his deceptive tool which he uses to draw us away from the godly life. To envy is to desire what you do not have. It may be wealth, talent, good looks, intelligence, youthfulness and a thousand other things. Envy makes us mean and evil toward the ones we envy.

Matthew tells us that it was out of envy that the people handed Jesus over to Pilate and demanded that He be crucified. Jesus said envy comes from within and makes a person unclean. Paul said, love does not envy and those who envy will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul told Titus (and us) "we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." But when we found salvation; when we experienced the love of God our Savior, when we experienced His mercy and forgiveness, rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, all those old things passed away and all things became new. Envy passed away and was replaced by the love of God in Jesus Christ. James tells us, "If you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there."

If you find yourself experiencing feelings of envy, stop and do some serious self-talk. This is what the Psalmist did. He found himself on the slippery slopes of envy, but he began to talk to himself. He did not say a word to anybody but to himself he said, "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." The psalmist was saved from an awkward position. He was slipping to Satan's strategy but he talked to himself. He told himself, "Now if I say this ? if I tell how I feel, I will offend the children of God." So he took a stand. He could not understand, so he took a stand on what he knew to be right. This held him firm and kept him from falling away from the faith.

There are many times when we do not understand what is happening to us; when we do not understand our experiences; when we do not understand how providence works. But, if we will just take a stand on what we know to be right, it will keep us from falling.

The Psalmist continues and states that when "entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. He began to understand that there was no need for him to be envious of the prosperity of the wicked because their prosperity is in reality but an illusion. He began to understand that the ancient deceiver had played tricks with his vision and used slight of hand to distract him from the reality of God.

But after entering the sanctuary, the Psalmist realized that prosperity is but an image, a fashion show of what is to pass away; like a pleasant dream that pleases us only for a little while ? while we are asleep ? but when we awaken, we discover it was not real. The psalmist then admonishes himself for his own stupidity. He said, "I was senseless and ignorant" to envy the wicked; to be jealous of the perishing. His thoughts then returned to his own happiness in God when he realized how much more he had in the Creator.

We need not concern ourselves when good things happen to bad people. We keep our focus on God, our Creator.

Scriptural Reference: Psalms 73.

Sidebar Quote: Hatred is active, and ENVY passive dislike; there is but one step from ENVY to hate. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.

You are welcome to visit amen ministries: your soul's service station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.

Blessings to all!

expert residential cleaners Park Ridge ..
In The News:

The Omoway Omo X features a modular design, obstacle detection and emergency braking, and can drive itself to charging stations, signaling the future of smart urban mobility.
PillTrek, a tiny wireless smart capsule created by Caltech, provides real-time gut health data by detecting electrolytes, metabolites, glucose, hormones, pH levels and temperature.
Learn to spot fake bank text messages with five warning signs of Chase phishing scams, including suspicious links and urgent deadlines designed to steal your account information.
Robot coyotes built on motorized cars reaching 20 mph are being deployed at military airfields as an innovative solution to wildlife threats to aircraft safety.
Explore Google Drive's strengths and weaknesses as a backup solution, including its encryption security, privacy concerns and comparison to dedicated backup tools.
As environmental challenges grow, underwater habitats gain momentum with DEEP's Vanguard, supporting short missions and Sentinel designed for 28-day stays at depth.
The new Urban Eyes safety vest features dual cameras, reflective panels and a wireless remote to deter harassers and provide peace of mind for outdoor workouts.
The $200 billion data broker industry tracks your personal details across websites, posing privacy risks that can be mitigated through data removal services.
UCC Holding has teamed up with COBOD to create desert-inspired, 3D-printed schools in Qatar, featuring dune-like wavy walls impossible with conventional construction.
Darkling beetles equipped with microchip backpacks can be guided through disaster areas using electrical signals, offering a biological solution for search and rescue.
Scammers use number porting to take control of outdated landlines still connected to financial accounts, bypassing two-factor authentication to steal funds while avoiding detection.
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey developed Bitchat, a privacy-focused messaging app that works offline via Bluetooth without requiring email, phone numbers or personal data.
Google is making a push to ensure its AI, Gemini, is tightly integrated with Android systems by granting it access to core apps like WhatsApp, Messages, and Phone.
A new green energy system is set to change how we capture clean power, and it all starts with the ocean. French startup Seaturns has designed technology that taps into the natural motion of the sea.
Cybersecurity researchers are warning that hackers have started exploiting flaws in chatbots to carry out AI phishing attacks.
Google has just made it easier than ever to regain control of your inbox with Gmail's new Manage Subscriptions tool.
Despite the benefits, residential power saver programs come with several potential drawbacks and concerns that have been raised by both customers and experts.
The Blackdot AI tattoo machine is quiet. It's steady. And according to early users, it hurts a lot less.
Attackers have started to exploit the very signals that users assume will keep them safe when it comes to add-ons to improve productivity or entertainment.
Located on Cerro Pachón in Chile, the world's most powerful digital camera is set to transform how we see the universe.
The innovative DQ Tower stands 28 feet tall with 420 square feet of living space, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and premium amenities in a prefabricated design.
A new mmWave imaging system allows warehouse robots to scan and create 3D models of objects inside sealed containers, potentially revolutionizing shipping processes.
Family fraud endangers seniors when relatives exploit their trust, but removing personal data online and monitoring identity can prevent financial harm to aging parents.
A study analyzing 500,000 customer service interactions shows chatbots struggle with complex issues while human agents excel at matching customer communication styles.
Aigen's Element robot uses solar power and AI to provide farmers with a sustainable alternative to herbicides, working efficiently in cotton and soy fields.

There is Power in Believing

I once read a story about a Catholic priest who... Read More

Acknowledging the Existence of Your Soul

Talking about your "soul" and the deeper things in life... Read More

What Can You Do In One Day

For it is written in Bible in chapter 2 Peter... Read More

How To Fall With Style - The Art Of Sin

Adam had it right when he covered himself with fig... Read More

A Word Filty Spoken

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in... Read More

Who Are You Really?

You are a spiritual being. You recognize something in you... Read More

An Open Invitation

"All you who are thirsty, come and drink." ISAIAH 55:1,... Read More

What Exactly is Grace?

This question, "what is grace" plagued me more into knowing... Read More

Getting the Feel of Your Faith

Whether we admit it or not, we operate by emotion.... Read More

A Testimony of an Ex-Mormon

Mormons like to give testimonies. Unlike Mormon testimonies, I will... Read More

Hold On!

Job was a spiritual man who loved and obeyed God... Read More

GOD 1.0: The Universal OS

Welcome to the GOD 1.0 Tech Support Page. GOD 1.0... Read More

A Fine Line between Heaven, Hell and Astrology - Angelic Governors of the Zodiac

Have you ever wondered which Angel governs your sign? And... Read More

Near Death Experiences: Is there a Logical Explanation?

In an edition of Reader's Digest, I stumbled upon a... Read More

Drop the Negations

What really binds us to any negative emotional state in... Read More

Anam Chara - The Flow of Life

I am deeply drawn to the above Irish Blessing.This blessing... Read More

Calling All Angels - Talking to Angels

I am a big believer in the strength of a... Read More

The End of Guilt

What is the purpose of guilt?Well, let's look at it.Some... Read More

Animal Totems

What the Animals Tell Us"I am the Sun's son. I... Read More

A Meaningful Relationship That is Not Yukky

Good morning Roy, good morning JosethWhat about me, were do... Read More

Using Your Spiritual Path Against Yourself

In looking back at my process over the years I... Read More

For the Glory of God

One of the most touching stories in New Testament scripture... Read More

Life is like Golf

In the golfing world, yesterday may have been one of... Read More

Who Is He?

"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is... Read More

Healing For Your Soul

Can God really heal your pain? Does every trial come... Read More

green cleaning service Park Ridge ..