The Puzzle of Prosperity
He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! ––Isaiah 25:8, NLT
Suppose you’re waiting to board a flight to Hawaii and the pilot walks in, saying, “You are going to have the flight of your life. Smooth sailing all the way! I guarantee we won’t hit one pocket of turbulence. You will have quadraphonic earphones, an Epicurean experience with a seven-course meal, and your choice of first-run movies. There’s only one problem: We haven’t figured out how to land. We’ve tried it a thousand times, and everybody dies––but while you’re in the air, I promise your flight will be smooth and your experience fulfilling.”
At this point, a second pilot enters the boarding area, saying, “I can’t promise smooth sailing. In fact, from here to Hawaii, we’ll no doubt hit some bumps and you might even have the ‘urge to re-gurge.’ You need to bring a milk crate to sit on and a sack lunch to eat. However, we have a perfect landing record, and we will get you to your destination safely, guaranteed.”
Which plane would you board?
For some, the question is more of a struggle than you might think. It reminds me of Psalm 73:3: “For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (NASB). Putting this in everyday terms: When the cheater at work gets promoted, how does it make you feel? Asaph, the writer of this psalm, sees the trap. We do too: It’s really easy to jump to bitterness and envy when we see immoral people succeed.
So what’s the answer? Asaph gets to it at the end: “But as for me, the nearness of God is good for me; I have made the Lord God my refuge, so that I may tell of all Your works” (73:8).
The prosperity of the wicked can be confounding, but when we trust God for our reward, He always delivers spiritual richness.
Father, let me surrender my temptation to envy other’s achievements and be grateful for my eternal rewards.