Most of us came to the conclusion long ago that life’s not fair. When a good person gets sick, has an accident, or dies, someone laments, “There are really bad people who live to a ripe old age.” A crooked man is wealthy and an honest man can’t seem to get ahead. Someone gets into an accident when they’re taking someone else to the doctor, while a crook drives away at high speed from a store after robbing the place and he gets away.

Life’s not fair. If you don’t believe in God, you really don’t have anyone to blame. Only people who believe in God have a problem with life’s being unfair. If God exists, why would He allow unfairness in the world?

As we continue our series of messages on the “Anatomy of a Soul” we need to address this issue of the confused soul. The psalmist who wrote Psalm 73 was a perfect example of a person who was committed to God but who nevertheless struggled with the unfairness of life.

THE PSALMIST AND THE UNFAIRNESS OF LIFE
The psalmist wanted to affirm the goodness of God. He stated at the beginning of the psalm, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” (v.1) When it came to himself, however, he felt differently: “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped. I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (vs.2-3) It’s said that into every life some rain must fall, but the psalmist apparently felt that in his life, when it rained it poured — and it put his faith on slippery ground. You could say that his faith had lost its footing.

The psalmist confessed to envying people who are arrogant (instead of being humble before God). He wrote that “They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens of the common man; they are not plagued by human ills.” (vs.4-5) He saw that people who didn’t take God seriously were often spared from disease and disaster, trials and troubles.

Before my father passed away he had to suffer for over three years with a debilitating stroke that left him speechless. I couldn’t help but notice that there were men older than my dad who, as far as I could tell, had never given God the time of day — but they were doing well physically.

Most of us have made such comparisons. The psalmist did, too, and he made it known in no uncertain terms in his psalm. In essence he asked, “What’s the use in being good?” when he stated, “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.” (v.13) He had kept his struggles and grumblings pretty much to himself — or between him and God. He didn’t want his doubts to negatively influence the people who knew him, particularly the younger generation: “If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed your children.” (v.15)

All in all, he considered himself to be one confused soul! “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me . . .” (v.16a) He was in a crisis of faith. When you consider how unfair life often is, it makes belief in God seem baffling, to say the least.

However, the Bible is filled with examples of how life is unfair. Almost every Biblical character that we look up to as being godly had to face unfairness.

Young David was anointed by Samuel to be king because God wanted David to be king. The only problem was that Saul was still king. He was jealous of David and tried to kill him or have him killed! David wrote some psalms lamenting the enemies’ chasing him. He stated in Psalm 70, “May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.” (v.2)

In the New Testament we have the story of Paul and Silas, who were preaching the Gospel. They didn’t get a warm handshake at the door like I hope I’ll get from you today. “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, . . .” (Acts 16:22-23a) That must have taken the fun out of preaching!

The ultimate example is of course our Master: Jesus. He was perfect and sinless, yet He was executed! Talk about life’s being unfair!

FINDING MEANING IN LIFE’S UNFAIRNESS
In the midst of his struggle with life’s being unfair, the psalmist gained a fresh perspective. Earlier we quoted the first part of verse 16, but not the last part; let me give it all to you: “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.” (vs.16-18) When he was worshipping in church (the sanctuary, the Jewish temple) he saw the big picture:ultimately God makes all things right and fair. The psalmist had lamented that his faith was on the slippery ground of confusion and doubt, but now he realized that people who are without God are ultimately on slippery ground!

He went on, “Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God.” (vs.27-28)

We have a very narrow perspective of what’s going on in the world. God’s working with the big picture.

John Bunyan was a 16th-century preacher who was put into prison for his faith. His friend John Owen tried to use his connections to get him released, but it didn’t work. Finally in 1676 Bunyan was released, and he took with him a manuscript that he had been working on during the long time he was in prison. John Owen helped him find a publisher, and his book, Pilgrim’s Progress, was published. It became one of the world’s classic pieces of literature. We can see now why Bunyan had to stay in jail for so long, but I’m sure he couldn’t see it at the time.

Last week as a closing hymn in the Sunday 9 a.m. service we sang, “Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace; behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.”

People often say that when they get to heaven and meet Jesus they’re going to have a lot of questions to ask Him. I think we’ll only ask Him one question: “Why did I ever question You?”

It seems to me that a true, deep faith in the Lord can only be found beyond our unanswered questions. If we can’t get beyond them, we’re not going to find faith in God. We aren’t going to have many of them answered this side of heaven, and I believe that we’ll have lost interest in having them answered on the other side of heaven. Whatever answers the Lord gives us in heaven will fully satisfy us, and will prompt us to fully glorify Him!

CLINGING TO GOD
In the midst of the unfairness in his life the psalmist found a renewed, deeper relationship with God. Facing the unfairness of life will cause faith to fail or to flourish. The psalmist wrote, “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (vs.23-26) The psalmist was irresistibly drawn to God in the middle of feeling that life was treating him unfairly.

Warren Wiersbe, a famous pastor of the recent past and a best-selling author, wrote, “Far more important than reasons and explanations is our personal relationship to God. He loves us too much to harm us, no matter how much He may permit us to be hurt; and He is too wise to make a mistake.” (Why Us? When Bad Things Happen to God’s People, p.50)

The “health and wealth gospel” that you sometimes hear and see on Christian radio and TV isn’t true. God does not always bless us with happiness, good health, wealth, or whatever our hearts desire!

Happiness is great to have, and we all want it. Sometimes we get it, and sometimes we don’t. God isn’t most interested in our being happy with our circumstances. He wants us to find joy in Him, even in unhappy circumstances: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

We all want good health, but we can’t always have it. God is still mightily at work even when good health eludes us. The apostle Paul had a health issue that he called a “thorn in the flesh.” He wrote, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

It’s nice to have plenty of money, but God’s far more interested in our being wealthy in a different way. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)

There’s absolutely nothing more important in life than God and our relationship with Him. Life may not always go as we want it to; it won’t always seem fair. However, we can always have God as we deal with all of the less-than-ideal parts of life. The psalmist ended his poem (which we call Psalm 73) with these words: “But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” (v.28) God can be there with us in everything that seems unfair. We just have to be open to Him and dependent on Him. That can only happen when we don’t allow the unfairness of life to keep us from holding on to a deep faith in God!