We know the Bible says the Father makes it rain on the just & the unjust (Matthew 5:45) and in the parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock, the storm battered both homes (Matthew 7:24-27). Yet, so often we look to those who are prosperous, though they may be of the world, and wonder how it is that God allows blessing to flow their way when so many of His people are suffering.
The psalmist had this same issue in Psalm 73. "But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped." (Ps 73:2). This is a very popular passage of scripture, and yet many people don't know the reason why he was having so much trouble:
Ps 73:3 - For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
This very next verse shows us that the issue was looking around and seeing the prosperity of the wicked. He goes so far as to say "I have cleansed my hands in vain" in verse 13. He was having serious doubts trying to reconcile how the wicked could flourish.
However, the key to overcoming this battle of the mind is in verse 17:
"Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end."
Getting into the presence of God, maintaining our relationship with Jesus Christ is the antidote for a mindset that veers away from keeping the main thing the main thing. Good and bad times come to us all, but as Christians we have that "Rock that is higher than I" (Ps 61:2) and that "refuge from the storm" (Isa 25:4).
Let's keep our focus on Jesus Christ--His mind, His passion, His will--in both the good and bad times. Let's put our trust in Him...
