When the wicked prosper

“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do You tolerate the treacherous? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” Habakkuk 1:13
This verse – which sums up Habakkuk’s complaint to God – is one that also describes a common complaint today: why does God allow the wicked to prosper. We’ve probably all asked this question at some stage in our lives – if not out loud, we’ve at least thought it as we see ungodly people winning the lottery, being promoted ahead of us, and generally doing well in life.
God’s answer to us today is the same answer He gave to Habakkuk: it’s not over yet. God will ensure that at the end of the day, when the dust settles, every person will have been dealt with in complete justice and fairness. The righteous will be rewarded; the wicked will be punished. It may seem that the wicked are allowed to prosper now, but ultimately they will not.
Here’s a thought: sometimes God blesses people so that they might acknowledge Him and turn to Him. We read in Matt. 5:45 that “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” So next time you see someone receive a blessing, who doesn’t believe in God, look at it as God showing His patience. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).