Lord, you always give me justice
    when I bring a case before you.
So let me bring you this complaint:
Why are the wicked so prosperous?
    Why are evil people so happy?
 You have planted them,
    and they have taken root and prospered.
Your name is on their lips,
    but you are far from their hearts.
But as for me, Lord, you know my heart.
    You see me and test my thoughts.
Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered!
    Set them aside to be slaughtered! Jeremiah 12

                   Lord,why do the wicked prosper? Why do they seem to have power? Why have the godly been silenced in their presence- or at least made to feel like they are not allowed to speak up?  I’ve been asking the Lord this in my prayers for the last few months as I see the wicked prosper and those around me falling into all the world has to offer….but  I can Praise God! Because He always answers me.  Every time I have asked the Lord this question, I have immediately (without knowing) opened up to Psalm 37 or another verse (listed below) that answers my questions, gives me hope and tells me “Do not worry”. Apparently I’m not the only one who asks the Lord this question. David, Jeremiah,Psalmist Asaph (ps 73) and Habukkuk felt the same way.  Almost every day I have found new scripture that answers me and each time the Lord reminds me not to worry about it, nor fret.

THIS EARTHY KINGDOM IS FUELED BY……………

 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.  John 18:36

 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places Ephesians 6;12 (note also Ezekiel 28 the King of Tyre is a spiritual being that is addressed, where tyre itself and it’s prince is addressed as a people)

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness 1 John 5:19 

( 4 Terrifying Lion Dreams  Warfare ) You see, satan is prowling around- they don’t see it and they are not worried- but there is terror ahead, in fact, closer than they could image.  Why should he attack them now? That would ruin his plans, because the wicked recruit others for him.  The wickedness grows greater and greater and they are blind to the consequences of their sin. Do I want the wicked to die? NO, but I do want wickedness to stop. I love this verse:

Let the wicked change their ways  and banish the very thought of doing wrong.  Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.   Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. Is 55:7

“Among my people are wicked men
    who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.
They continually set traps
    to catch people.
²⁷ Like a cage filled with birds,
    their homes are filled with evil plots.
    And now they are great and rich.
²⁸ They are fat and sleek,
    and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.
They refuse to provide justice to orphans
    and deny the rights of the poor.
²⁹ Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.
    “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?
³⁰ A horrible and shocking thing
    has happened in this land—
³¹ the prophets give false prophecies,
    and the priests rule with an iron hand.
Worse yet, my people like it that way! Jer 5:27-

    Many want to turn but they don’t know how. If only they knew- that turning back to God is as easy as turning around. The devil wants them to think they could never change and that their lifestyle is impossible to leave, but no so!  I saw the Lord’s hands reached out to those who had fallen from the path- come back! Turn around! He calls… But in despair and hopelessness many don’t turn back to God- they continue to hear the lies of Satan telling them of their unworthiness.  He tells them they can never leave and whispers blasphemy  in their minds causing them to despise the living God.  Pray for those who have been misled and the next generation- May  righteousness reign and may the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong.

          Romans 1  tells us that although the wicked seem to prosper from the world’s point of view- their minds are dark and confused. The Lord has God abandoned them and they suffered within themselves … what a horrible place to be! (Romans 1:18-28)

Enough of my talk! Here’s some scripture the Lord showed me after I asked Him this question. Great promises and a lot to think about. I’d like to discuss further, but that could take all day.  So I leave you with the scripture, the living word of God- may it bless you today.

 Dont Worry about it! Don’t Fret  (I keep singing the don’t worry be happy song)

Ps 37:1-2 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away.  Like spring flowers, they soon wither.  Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Ps 37 Soon the wicked will disappear.  Though you look for them, they will be gone. The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed  or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial

 Jeremiah 5:28 They are fat and sleek and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans  and deny the rights of the poor.         

Psalm 73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.  They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.  They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Jeremiah 12:1: Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Habakkuk 1:4  The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted

Jeremiah 11:20 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you make righteous judgments,  and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them,  for I have committed my cause to you

Jeremiah 5:27-28  Like a cage filled with birds,  their homes are filled with evil plots.  And now they are great and rich.  They are fat and sleek,  and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans  and deny the rights of the poor

Psalm 10
O Lord, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.
 The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them.  They sneer at all their enemies.
They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us!
We will be free of trouble forever!”
Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.  They lurk in ambush in the villages,  waiting to murder innocent people.
They are always searching for helpless victims.
Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on pounce on the helpless.
Like hunters they capture the helpless
and drag them away in nets.
Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!   He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”
Arise, O Lord!
Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless!
Why do the wicked get away with despising God?
They think, “God will never call us to account.”
But you see the trouble and grief they cause.  You take note of it and punish them .The helpless put their trust in you.

Ps37
Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.  Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.  Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper  or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry!  Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
Soon the wicked will disappear.  Though you look for them, they will be gone.
The lowly will possess the land  and will live in peace and prosperity.
The wicked plot against the godly;  they snarl at them in defiance.
But the Lord just laughs,  for he sees their day of judgment coming.
The wicked draw their swords   and string their bows to kill the poor and the oppressed,  to slaughter those who do right.
But their swords will stab their own hearts,  and their bows will be broken.
It is better to be godly and have little  than to be evil and rich.For the strength of the wicked will be shattered,  but the Lord takes care of the godly.
Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
They will not be disgraced in hard times;   even in famine they will have more than enough.
but the wicked will die.  The Lord’s enemies are like flowers in a field— they will disappear like smoke.
The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. Those the Lord blesses will possess the land,  but those he curses will die.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,  for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Once I was young, and now I am old.  Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread.
The godly always give generous loans to others,  and their children are a blessing.
Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever.
For the Lord loves justice,  and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,  but the children of the wicked will die.
The godly will possess the land and will live there forever.
The godly offer good counsel;  they teach right from wrong.
They have made God’s law their own,  so they will never slip from his path.
The wicked wait in ambush for the godly, looking for an excuse to kill them.
But the Lord will not let the wicked succeed
or let the godly be condemned when they are put on trial.
 Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.
I have seen wicked and ruthless people  flourishing like a tree in its native soil.
But when I looked again, they were gone!  Though I searched for them, I could not find them!
Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.
But the rebellious will be destroyed;  they have no future.
The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.
The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them, and they find shelter in him.

Ps 73
 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.
Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.
They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.
 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
As a dream when one awaketh  so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

Isaiah 57:
Are you afraid of these idols? Do they terrify you?
Is that why you have lied to me  and forgotten me and my words?
Is it because of my long silence  that you no longer fear me?
Now I will expose your so-called good deeds. None of them will help you.
Let’s see if your idols can save you when you cry to them for help.
God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.”  The high and lofty one who lives in eternity,  the Holy One, says this:
“I live in the high and holy place  with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble  and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.
For I will not fight against you forever;  I will not always be angry.
If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made.
 I was angry, so I punished these greedy people. I withdrew from them, but they kept going on their own stubborn way.
I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them.
I will comfort those who mourn, bringing words of praise to their lips.
May they have abundant peace, both near and far,” says the Lord, who heals them.
“But those who still reject me are like the restless sea, which is never still
but continually churns up mud and dirt.
There is no peace for the wicked,”  says my God

Gently Instruct those who oppose the truth

2 tim 2 23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.  A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

But BE CAREFUL! THESE PEOPLE ARE LIKE DANGEROUS REEFS THAT CAN SHIPWRECK YOU

Jude 1 12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you.[e] They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. 13 They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness. 17 But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. 18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. 20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,[g] 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

SHOW MERCY AND RESCUE THEM BY SNATCHING THEM FROM THE FLAMES OF JUDGEMENT

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. Jude 22-23

But be careful who you walk with, who you stand with, and you sit with

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. PS 1

BECAUSE YOUR GREAT ENEMY IS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DEVOUR

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.  All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

 

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