Jeremiah, Job, and David all expressed the same thing, although worded slightly differently, “Why do the wicked prosper?” I have often said, “I’m not sure if that’s what they were really asking.” I think we all understand how certain business practices often lead to prosperity. In fact, those who don’t care whether their actions are ethical or not can sometimes make more money than the person who is honest and treats everyone fairly. From that perspective, I can understand how the wicked prosper. The results of a recent poll said a majority of our culture today will accept dishonest business practices if it is a means to achieve your goal. I hope that poll is not accurate, but it does seem to be the norm for our day.

I believe those Bible writers were really asking, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That is a far more difficult question to answer. If you go back to the example of running a business; why have mom and pop stores all but disappeared? They offered a good product. They knew their customers by name. They were often generous to those who couldn’t afford the basic necessities. They are the ones who made America great, but you hardly see those stores anymore. Why? Because nationwide chain stores moved in and offered better prices. The personal touch was lost to a store only interested in profit. Stores that sometimes had existed for generations were gone. While we may look at this more from a monetary perspective, it affects us all in many ways. We pass it off by saying, “Time stands still for no one.”

While the loss of a business is certainly traumatic for those involved, the more difficult question usually involves things such as sickness or unexpected deaths in the family. I can relate to both of those in my family. The untimely deaths of my granddaughter and both of my siblings have caused me to ask why. My mom was one of the godliest people who ever lived, but the last few years of her life were robbed by dementia. The heartbreak of parents who lose a child. These things happen so often that we have incorporated sayings into our culture like, “Only the good die young.” Think about people who are mistreated for no other reason than the color of their skin.

We struggle with questions that have no answers. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve met with people who could only express their hurt by asking, “Why?” I remember, as a young minister, being asked to take part in the funeral of a sixteen-year-old boy who had been tragically killed. An older minister, more seasoned with life’s tragedies, also had a part. He used the scripture where Jesus is dying on the cross and He asked, “My God, My God, why?” I learned that day that it’s okay to ask why. In the case of Jesus, we know there was a greater plan. Three days later, there was a resurrection. Is there a greater plan in the tragedies of our lives?

My dad would often quote Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good, to them who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.” Will I ever fully understand all that happens in this life? No! But I trust there is a greater plan that I may not be able to see at the moment. I also know this. God expects us to help those walking through a dark valley. Sometimes, a kind word is all that is needed. Sometimes, just being there without saying anything is even better.

I remember a song from my youth that says in part, “You’re my brother, you’re my sister, so take me by my hand…, there’s no foe that can defeat us, if you’re walking by my side…” It is that personal touch that means so much. In a day rapidly becoming so unpersonable, remember that not only do we need someone, someone needs us.