It may not always be obvious now, but on the day of the Lord the distinction between the righteous and the wicked will be abundantly clear. On that day, “all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch” (Mal. 4:1). It will a terrible day for the unbeliever, however for those who know and love God, it’ll be a day of rejoicing.
Have you ever done the right thing only to suffer loss for it? Has telling the truth led to consequences that the person who was willing to lie didn’t have to face? Has being unwilling to compromise morals costs you an opportunity for advancement to someone who was willing to make such compromises?
Being a Christian doesn’t guarantee you will get the job promotion, make the team, or be the most popular person. Scripture says it rains on the just and the unjust; God’s common grace is visible as unbelievers make money, have families, and seem to have fun. Sometimes it even seems the wicked person prospers while the person who tries to do right suffers. Seeing such “blessings” on those who don’t know God has often led some to make the same accusation made in Malachi 3:14-15:
It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.
The Lord calls this accusation “harsh” (v. 13).
