Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting a bull not to charge you because you are a vegetarian.
The faithful of all ages have been treated unfairly by the world. God’s own son, our Lord Jesus Christ, was mistreated, maligned, scourged, spat upon, condemned by false witnesses and crucified. Paul was unjustly arrested, falsely accused, beaten, stoned, smitten on the mouth by order of the high priest and eventually martyred.
On the other hand, the Psalmist tells us that “Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.” So we need not be concerned with the fact that the world is not fair. In the final analysis, we are assured that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
The world is not fair, and terrible injustices are taking place every day. We need to take comfort knowing that the angel of the Lord is encamping around about those who fear God, that God is good to all those who have surrendered their lives to Him. Understanding and accepting this fact helps us to cope with life. No longer will we be so upset by the unfair things that happen to us, and we will not waste our breath trying to explain to the charging bull that we are a vegetarian.
After acknowledging that God is good, the Psalmist goes on to say that he had been envious of the wicked. As a result, his feet were almost gone and his steps had well nigh slipped. At that moment, he was so envious at the wicked, realizing how unfair things are, he almost lost his balance. It is true that some of the wicked seem to have more than the heart could wish. Even though they are so corrupt, they seem to have it all from a worldly point of view.
The Psalmist became so discouraged that he almost decided that it did not pay to be good. “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.”
He was so upset that he decided it was too painful to even think about it. He said, “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me.”
Fortunately, he came to his senses and went to the right place to get the solution to his problem. Not until he went into the sanctuary of God did he understand their end and begin to see things in a true perspective.
Once he saw the whole picture, he was ashamed of himself for ever having doubted the fact that God is good. He said, “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.”
We are wise to follow the Psalmist and accept the fact that the world is not fair, but God is good. We need to also conclude that it is good for us to draw near to God, to put our trust in the Lord so that He will guide us with His counsel and afterward receive us into glory.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One