"Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off" (Prov. 23:17-18).
It is easy to envy sinners. It is easy to look at the success of someone we deem unworthy and to wonder why God would allow them such success. Why are there atheists in the world with millions (or more) dollars? Why do reckless and negligent people seem to be able to have numerous children, when there are godly people who can't?
This proverb doesn't answer those questions. If fact, the Scripture is quite clear on the fact that God is not inclined to answer our why questions. He is the only sovereign being. What he decrees or permits is beyond question. The righteousness, holiness, and justice of his nature assure us that whatever comes to pass is not beyond God's redemptive purposes. He works all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes (see Rom. 8:28).
What this proverb tells us is that God is in control. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. Difficult circumstances in our lives, or favorable circumstances in the lives of "sinners," should not make us question the goodness of God. We are encouraged to remember that God will not forget us. He has a future planned for us that is beyond anything we can imagine.
Don't stress when you see God blessing sinners. He did it for you before you knew him, and he still blesses you today. Walk in reverent submission to his Word, and he will bring you into the glorious future he has planned for you. Know that he is good all the time, and rest in that knowledge.
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