It’ s Not Fair!
Psalm 73:25
Tuesday, January 2nd
Do you ever look at the lives of unbelievers and get a little, maybe even a lot, resentful?“ Why do they get to live in beautiful mansions, and I live in a cramped little house? How come they always have more than enough money, and I can barely stay ahead of my bills? Why do they always look healthy and handsome and beautiful, and I always seem to have all sorts of health issues?”
You’ re not alone in those feelings. A believer by the name of Asaph in the Bible had those same emotions. He wrote a Psalm about it, Psalm 73. Asaph was a church musician. He had heard often in church that God is good to his people. But then he went out in the real world, and he saw just the opposite. God seems to pour out good things on unbelievers, he thought, while he lets his own children struggle and suffer.
Asaph’ s complaint against God is one we’ ve all felt. Why does God allow guilty criminals to get out on parole and live free and easy? Why does he allow dictators to flaunt their evil? Why do terrorists get away with murder?
Asaph did the right thing with his doubts. He went again to the“ sanctuary of God,” the church. This time he listened more intently to God’ s Word. There in God’ s Word he learned that God really does punish unbelievers. Criminals suffer with a guilty conscience the rest of their lives, always wondering when God will catch up to them. Dictators are eventually overthrown. Terrorists get caught or die by violence themselves. Even if unbelievers don’ t get caught in this life, they will suffer a terrible end- separated from God’ s love forever in hell, where even a drop of water will bring them immense relief( Luke 16:24).
We have something far better than the riches and fun of unbelievers. Our greatest treasure is God himself. We have God’ s own Son Jesus. There is nothing on earth that can even remotely compare to Jesus. We have forgiveness of all our sins. We have peace in our conscience every moment that since we are forgiven, God is making all things work in our life for our eventual good. We have treasures laid up for us in heaven that are indescribable.
When we are tempted to doubt God’ s goodness and fairness, let’ s look beyond this world to the real world to come. Then in this broken world, God will give us out of this world peace. Amen.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, whenever I envy others, remind me that you died and rose again to give me heaven. Amen.
Activity: Everyone honestly admit something you see others have that you wish you had. Discuss how long that thing lasts. Talk about something you have in Jesus that is far better.
40