Sunday, February 22, 2026

Alex Buabeng-Korsah

TOPIC: WHY SHOULD THE WICKED PROSPER?

THEME SCRIPTURE: “Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” — Jeremiah 12:1

PREPARATORY QUESTIONS:

1. Why does God look in when the wicked prosper, and the righteous suffer?

The prophet Jeremiah dared to ask what many only whisper: Why do the wicked prosper? His question was not rebellion—it was reverent wrestling. He acknowledged God’s righteousness before questioning God’s ways. That posture matters.

A Nebraska farm girl once asked the same question. Her faithful family suffered drought while her cruel uncle’s crops flourished seventy miles away. She and her family were faithful Christians. Her father was a deacon, and her mom was a chorister. Their farm was a huge support to the poor and the vulnerable in their community. It felt unjust. It felt personal. It felt wrong that a mean uncle was doing well, and they were not.

Scripture does not dismiss such tension. The story of Job in the holy Scripture confronts it head-on. Job lost wealth, children, health, and dignity—not because he was wicked, but because he was righteous. His friends offered tidy explanations. God offered something better: revelation. When God finally spoke, He did not provide a formula. He unveiled His sovereignty. In that encounter, Job’s demand for answers dissolved into awe.

The theological truth is this: prosperity is not proof of righteousness, nor is suffering evidence of divine neglect.

God’s justice operates on an eternal horizon, not a seasonal forecast. Rain falls according to atmospheric laws God Himself sustains. Yet beyond meteorology stands mystery.

The prosperity of the wicked is temporary and often deceptive. Scripture consistently testifies that apparent success without God is fragile and fleeting.

Jeremiah, like Job, teaches us that faith is not the absence of questions but the refusal to abandon trust. The deepest reward of faith is not immediate relief—it is communion with a magnificent God. Job’s latter days were blessed, but his greater blessing was seeing God more clearly.

We live between the tension of promise and fulfillment. Sometimes, the “latter part” begins right here on earth; sometimes, it unfolds in eternity. But God’s goodness is not measured by rainfall or bank balances. It is secured in His character.

The cross of Christ ultimately reframes the question. The only truly righteous One, Jesus Christ, suffered while the guilty prospered. Yet through that injustice came redemption. 

Key Takeaway

God’s justice may seem delayed, but His goodness is never absent. Prosperity is temporary; God’s purposes are eternal.

Beloved, God’s purposes often ripen beneath the soil of what seems unfair.

So, as you go through the day, if you see the wicked prosper, you may bring your complaint to God, not away from Him. And in addition, worship while you wrestle. Trust while you wait for His answers.

Remain blessed.

FURTHER READING –  Jeremiah 12

Call to Salvation: Today is your day if you have not received salvation by turning over your life to Jesus Christ. Click here to do so.

QUESTIONS TO HELP  YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD:

1. When have you felt that God’s distribution of blessings was unfair?

2. Are you seeking explanations from God—or a deeper revelation of Him?

3. How might an eternal perspective reshape your current frustration?

PRAYER

Righteous Father, You are just even when I do not understand Your ways. Guard my heart from envy and doubt when others prosper. Teach me to seek Your face more than Your answers. Anchor my trust in Your eternal purposes, and help me believe that Your goodness governs both drought and abundance.  In Jesus’  precious name, Amen.

One-Year Bible Reading Plan

Leviticus 1-2; Psalm 51