The God of All Comforts

One of the issues that causes grief to the saints who are in tribulation, is the apparent prosperity of the wicked. They seem to be triumphing, while the Lord's people are humbled and oppressed.

We think of the victims of Nazi oppression, and those of Stalin and Mao and Pol Pot, the victims of slavery in our own country - all these had to suffer while their oppressors benefited, and strutted in their victory over their poor victims.

How can God permit such injustices to flourish, we are tempted to wonder.

The Psalmist began to be envious of the wicked. What good did it do him to obey God, when evil men prosper, all the while acting corruptly, and speaking in favor of oppression?

Even thinking about it all is too painful for us.

We ask ourselves, does God even know? Surely the wicked scoff that God doesn't know the evil they are up to.

But there is a cure: when we enter into God's presence to worship Him, then we come to understand the true position of the wicked.

God has set them in slippery places! We all know how a person in slippery places doesn't realize what's about to happen to him, and then all of a sudden, he slips and falls and is cast down.

So it is with the wicked. Their position is very dangerous, but they only come to find out when God's judgment suddenly falls.

The cure for our despondency at the unfairness of the wicked prospering is to worship God and trust in His power to set all things right one day.

For in a moment, they are brought into terrors! It is as if God awakes from a dream, and suddenly sees them, and loathes them utterly.

But He Who watcheth over Israel slumbers not nor sleeps! Our God is awake to save us!