Why do the bad guys ever win? That is essentially the question Habakkuk asked God at the start of his small boom of the Bible:
'How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?' (Habakkuk 1:2-4, 13 NIV84)
It's a complaint. Habakkuk didn't like it that the good guys were losing while the bad guys prospered. Now, we know that in Christ there are no bad guys. All are creations of God that Christ died for. All have the opportunity to be saved through Christ. But you know what Habakkuk means here. Why do those that are wicked, do wrong, and sin get ahead? Why does God allow the righteous to struggle while those that plot sin and evil prosper? You may have asked this question at work or in your family.
The answer is simply that God's ways are not our ways. Victory for the faithful is promised in eternity and not always in this life. Still, God is often working behind the scenes to move in ways we simply don't understand. One of the answers God gives Habakkuk is, “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. (Habakkuk 1:5 NIV84)
The truth is we don't always understand how God is working in the world, but we can always trust that God IS working FOR the righteous and faithful, even when it seems like the bad guys keep winning. There are consequences for disobedience, and there are beautiful promises for the faithful -- one day.
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