It is a common lament: Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? Or, as we may put it in a more modern expression: Why do bad things happen to good people?
Psalm 37 offers one possible answer. We see injustice because we only look at the present. If we could extend our vision into the future and see the long-term outcome of things, we would find that God can be counted on to reward the righteous and punish the unrighteous.
Some examples:
"Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more..." (vs. 10)
"The Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that their day is coming." (vs. 13)
"Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way..." (vs. 34)
I would offer two points:
While the analysis of Psalm 37 is not guaranteed to hold true in every case, we often do make the mistake of looking at only the short-term results rather than the long-term consequences of our actions. I frequently think of this when criminals appear in court for their sentencing. Did they really think they would get away with it? Was it worth it? So much of life is the accretion of day upon day of little choices that we make. Before long, we are the accumulation of our habits and routines. And we eventually reap what we sow.
Secondly, while the perfect justice described in Psalm 37 may not always come to pass with 100% certainty in this world, we have assurance that it will do so in the next. The Bible consistently shows that a time of judgment is coming and that eternal consequences will be borne for what is done in the body. Even those who "get away with it" in this life will some day have to answer for their actions. Considering that all of us have had moments of sin and failure in our lives, thank God for His Amazing Grace!
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