Why Are Evil Ones Prosperous and Happy?

O. T. #1753  "Why Are Evil Ones Prosperous and Happy?
August 11, 2020
Jeremiah 12

LET IT GLOW

Doesn't it sound like Jeremiah is having a hard time with the plots to kill him were from the people of Judah? I mean, who wouldn't? Even the members of his own family turned against him. They plotted and raised complaints against him. (verse 6) The news so shook up Jeremiah that he had a heart-to-heart talk with his God. What an example for us!

First of all, Jeremiah recognizes the LORD to be righteous, which means just, lawful.
Next, he admits that God knows his heart, sees him, and tried his heart.

He wasn't accusing God of being unjust here, but at the same time he was upset about the way God was handling things. (Tony Evans)

Isn't it something that we can bring our feelings and thought to God, being truthful? (He already know all about us, but it sure helps us to get things off our chest, so to speak.)

Jeremiah asked God two questions:

1. Why are the wicked so prosperous?
2. Why are evil people so happy?

Aren't those age-old questions we sometimes wonder about but often don't come out and ask?
Do we stop and recall that that God is righteous, sovereign, wise, and knows best. Sometimes God doesn't interfere with the sinful ways of man, but leaves us to our devises. We reap what we sow.
It helps to take a step back and take a different perspective of our situation.

Poor Jeremiah, he wasn't prosperous and happy. His obedience to doing God's will was not easy.
That is when we must depend on God working things out for our good and His glory, even when we don't understand.

LET IT GROW

God doesn't have to explain things to Jeremiah nor to us. We must trust Him.
He doesn't have to defend His righteousness or the wisdom of His ways, according to Evans.

Sometimes we want to argue with God about the way He is handling things. Do we get alone with Him and battle it out? It's in the secret places of God's will that we must understand in the secret places of our soul and not use external worldly ways. (Oswald Chambers)

Isn't the battle with our will, our soul, our selfishness? Surrender is what we must do. I didn't say it was easy. Do I know that! Friend, we have to come to the place where we want God's will done His way, above all else, and not ours. When we deny our self and take up our cross, then we can follow Jesus in and through our circumstances. Then our soul will be prosperous and happy. That is what we want anyway, isn't it?

Since we know the rest of the story, we know that those evil people were killed and starved to death.
God is just.

LET IT GO
You make everything glorious.
Your are glorious, Lord Jesus.
You're a good, good Father and we are loved by You.
You are perfect in all of Your ways.
That is Who You are.