Psalm 30:1-7
I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken."
O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
Matthew 5:43-48
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:45b He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
I was watching a television program yesterday in which Madonna, the pop singer, was being interviewed by a British journalist. He was asking her about Kaballah, an ancient Jewish mysticism that she, and a number of pop celebrities, have begun to dabble in. He asked why she was doing this, and Madonna said that she rejected institutionalized religion because it couldn't answer her satisfactorily about why good things happen to bad people, and why bad things happen to good people. She found what she wanted in Kaballah, which is a belief system that glorifies the believer and reduces the woes of the world to be mere distractions.
Madonna's comment is one that we all struggle with, and I don't suppose there will be any completely satisfactory answer this side of eternity. It has to do with grace being applied by God to all of those who least deserve it. That's why He allows the sun to shine on both the good and the bad; that's why He showers His refreshing rain on both the righteous and unrighteous. You see if God was to only bless those who were good, no one would be blessed. If God was to punish all of those who were bad, all of us would be constantly punished.
It might not seem fair to us that those who are brazen, selfish, and self-centered, like some pop singers, get the best out of life, whereas those with little power or prestige get a raw deal. On this side of eternity, the scales of success seem to be heavily weighed towards those who look out for themselves. But in the life to come, God's justice prevails and the reverse is true. In other words, those who seek their rewards in this life will not be disappointed; but they needn't look beyond death for anything more from God. As Christ Himself once said, "They will have had all they are going to get."
Instead of being envious of the rich, powerful and successful, we should glory in the grace that God gives to all of humankind. Instead of feeling under-privileged, hard-done-by, and unrewarded, we should take time to thank God for the blessings that He shares with both the good and bad, the righteous and unrighteous.
Prayer: Father God, we cannot understand why so many selfish people are successful, or even why bad things happen to good people. Sometimes it frustrates our faith and we feel let down or disappointed by You. Forgive us for being churlish and teach us instead to cherish Your amazing grace, which bestows common blessings upon the good and the bad. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
Daily Confessions - Belgic Confession of Faith
Article 10 - Jesus Christ is True and Eternal God
We believe that Jesus Christ, according to His divine nature, is the only begotten Son of God, begotten from eternity, not made nor created (for then He would be a creature), but coessential and coeternal with the Father, the express image of His person, and the brightness of His glory, equal unto Him in all things. He is the Son of God, not only from the time that He assumed our nature, but from all eternity, as these testimonies, when compared together, teach us.
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