“For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.”
Psalm 73:3-5

This is a question we have all asked ourselves; how is it I and those around me can strive to live as God intended, yet still see nothing from it? Whether it be from physical ills, even death of a loved one, or from financial ills, be it debt or even bankruptcy, we may even wonder sometimes if God has it out for us. After all, I live my life better than this person over here, and look at all the health and prosperity he enjoys. Why God, have you chosen to bless that person and not me? Have I not served you faithfully, have I not given my ten percent, have I not sought your will, and what has this person done? We have all seen people in our daily lives who seem to shun God and not acknowledge that their blessings are from him, or even those who invoke God’s name in their business and personal dealings, yet live a life completely antiethical to the life Jesus showed us.
This is a verse I myself have a hard time finding comfort in, because in other parts of the Bible, we are led to believe that living a godly life will indeed lead to this prosperity the wicked are enjoying. A good example is Proverbs 3:33, “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.” There are times when we, living as righteously as we can and believe we should, seem to encounter nothing but disaster in our lives, while the wicked prosper....and prosper....and prosper. Sometimes it seems as though God has changed his mind and decided, at least in your case, to bless the wicked around you and curse you. Obviously this statement is ridiculous when we consider God’s unfailing and unchanging nature, but there are few Christians I know that have not at some time asked themselves this question, if only in their minds.
If there was ever a man who had a reason to ask God these questions, it could be Noah. Noah lived in a time where evil men prospered around him, and he himself encountered nothing but ridicule for his holy lifestyle the minute he stepped outside his door. In Genesis 7:1, the Lord states that he will save Noah and his family “because I have found you righteous in this generation.” The Lord then proceeded to inform Noah that as a reward for his righteousness, he must build an enormous boot large enough to accommodate the hundreds of species of animals he must procure, in order that he spend forty days and forty nights in their company. Noah could have thought, ‘Now, God praises my righteousness, then commands me years and years of work, not to mention ridicule from any other person outside my immediate family, only to spend time with the excrement of hundreds of animals on a ship in the middle of an ocean in my golden years. Not exactly my idea of a retirement cruise.’ Could the Lord have made the boat, commanded the animals to board the boat and silenced the voices of ridicule? Of course, if the Lord can create the world, cause it to flood, then rebuild it with only a smattering of people, building a boat is short work. We may laugh here, because though God asked this work of Noah, it was only to save and preserve his life. Does God not also send us challenges to prepare us for our eternal lives? Yes, God is capable of banishing all hurt and struggle from our lives, but could we be righteous without some striving on our part? Sometimes God sends struggle to encourage our righteousness along; while He is certainly concerned with our happiness, it is our holiness that is his utmost concern. It still may irk us to see the success of the wicked, but remember God has a plan, and be thankful yours does not include herding elephants.