In Ecclesiastes, chapter eight, verse thirteen, “But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.” In the world, it often seems that evil triumphs and sinners go unpunished, as in Psalm seventy-three. Although God is sovereign and fair, the wicked repeatedly prosper while those who serve God seem to suffer more. In all this experience, some believers become discouraged when they encounter afflictions and discover the apparent ease and happiness of many of the wicked. Yet God assures us that He will eventually punish evildoers according to what they deserve.
God shows in the latter part of that chapter in Psalm seventy-three, the destiny of the wicked. In the end, all the righteous will succeed and triumph with God, while the wicked will perish. However, if believers evaluate things from their limited, earth-bound, human perspective, they will almost certainly be discouraged and filled with despair. Saints of God must have God’s revealed Word and His Holy Spirit to complete life’s journey in faith and confidence in God’s goodness and justice.
Near the end of that chapter, believers will discover the attitude that leads to the triumph of faith. In this life with all its problems, our greatest good is intimate communion with God. Let the wicked prosper; our hope, treasure, and life is God Himself, always with us, guiding us by His Word and Spirit, upholding us by His power, and afterward receiving us into the glories of heaven.
Believers should not focus on the wicked but be aware of them. Although God’s children do not know the unbeliever’s life story, we know those who live and do not serve God have to serve something because the wicked lose out in the end.