Walking with the Wise #222: Wrestling with the Wicked

“The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD,
but gracious words are pure.” 

—Proverbs 15:26

Have you ever struggled with envying someone who lived a self-centered, sinfully indulgent, outright wicked life? I have. I must confess that I have wondered to myself, “What’s wrong with the world, Lord? Why is it that they don’t seek Your face? They don’t care for or regard Your word, but it appears as if they are blessed, while I am struggling. Why, Lord? Why?”

Those words are all too true of my daily life, as I see wickedness going on all over the world. I struggle, struggle with understanding, with obedience, with my wife, kids, job, career, and the daily mundane stresses of life that threaten to slowly kill me by boredom—doing the dishes, laundry, paying bills— and then getting the kids to this or that, managing my time, exercising, and generally trying to keep my head above water. Not to mention cultivating a spiritual life. And I’m a pastor, so there is no end of things to do. No matter how many hours are in a day, they don’t ever seem to be enough. The multitudinous pressures of life coupled with ministering to those who have spiritually shipwrecked their lives can be heartbreaking and exhausting.

But then I remember who God is, that He Himself went through the same struggles, that Jesus’ prayer in the Garden was indicative of my life: “Lord, not my will, but Your will be done.” I am renewed through Him, realizing that Jesus has already achieved the victory; it’s just a matter of time before the world sees it. I remember that God “laughs at the wicked, for He sees that his day is coming” (cf. Psalm 37:3), and that He will cause the wicked to vanish away never to be remembered again (cf. Psalm 37:20), ruined (cf. Psalm 146:9), and destroyed (cf. Psalm 145:20). I find strength in the words of the Scripture,  

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”—Galatians 6:9.

God will bring about His purposes, no matter what man may do. And He will reward me for being faithful to Him—not one thing that I have done will be forgotten or overlooked. My faithfulness in life—in the everyday and the extravagant, the mundane and the marvelous, will be rewarded on the great and wonderful day when the Lord rewards His servants.

Are you burdened and bothered by the constant barrage of wickedness and worldliness going on around you? Are you finding yourself saying to the Lord,

“O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?”—Psalm 94:3. 

Then take heart, beloved! Remember, Jesus has already achieved the victory! Our job is to proclaim it:


“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead”—Acts 17:30-31.

May the Lord our God, who brought our Lord Jesus back from the dead, enable us to have life, liberty, and a laser-like focus on Him. May we see the end of days, that the victory has already been won, and may we not cave into the wickedness of this world, nor be dismayed—rather, may we keep our eyes on Him, finding joy in His salvation which in turn becomes our strength in everyday living (cf. Nehemiah 8:10). Amen.