When Evil Seems to Win

Asaph was struggling with a question that was eating him alive: Why do bad people seem to have all the luck? He watched the wicked prosper while he suffered and saw corrupt people living in luxury while honest people barely survived. "Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure," he wrote, his faith cracking under the weight of life's unfairness.

Every day brought fresh evidence that seemed to mock his devotion to God. The arrogant were healthy and wealthy. The proud had no struggles. Meanwhile, Asaph felt like he was being punished every morning, disciplined every single day for trying to do right. It felt like a cosmic joke, and he was the punchline.

The questions tormented him until he couldn't think straight. Why serve God when serving yourself seemed to pay better? Why choose integrity when cheating appeared more profitable? Why pray when the people who never prayed seemed to get everything they wanted?

Then something changed. Asaph went into God's sanctuary, and suddenly he could see what he'd been missing. The prosperity of the wicked wasn't permanent; it was precarious. Their success was built on foundations that wouldn't last. What looked like victory from the outside was actually a setup for destruction.

Friend, maybe you're wrestling with Asaph's questions right now. Have you watched people with no regard for God succeed while you've struggled to make ends meet? Maybe you've seen dishonest people get promoted while your integrity has cost you opportunities. It's painful to watch someone who's hurt your family seem to thrive while you're left dealing with the damage they've caused.

Asaph's breakthrough didn't come through trying harder to figure it out or getting more information about why life is unfair. It came when he stopped staring at his circumstances and started looking at them from God's perspective. In the sanctuary—in that place of prayer and worship—everything looked different.

When we're consumed by the apparent success of people who oppose everything we believe, prayer becomes our sanctuary, too. It's where God reminds us that He sees everything we can't see, knows everything we don't know, and has the final word on every story that looks like it's ending wrong.

Your prayers don't just change your circumstances; they change your perspective. They help you see temporary success for what it really is and eternal victory for what it's truly worth. In God's presence, what feels like defeat starts to look a lot more like preparation for the victory that's coming.

Will you pray with me?

Lord, when evil seems to be winning and my faith feels shaken, draw me into Your sanctuary. Help me see my circumstances from Your perspective and trust Your perfect justice. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. What situation in your life has made you question whether it's worth serving God?
2. How does Asaph's sanctuary experience encourage you when life feels unfair?
3. What changes when you look at your struggles from God's perspective rather than your own?