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PAGE TITLE: CBN Daily Devotional
ARTICLE TITLE: Seems Like the Bad
Guys are Winning
DATE: N.A
AUTHOR: Mark Burnett
AUTHOR
INFORMATION: Mark Burnett is an American-based
television producer best known for producing the hit television program Survivor and as the
creator of Celebrity
Apprentice. In addition to Survivor
and Celebrity Apprentice,
Burnett currently serves as executive producer of The Voice, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?,The
People's Choice Awards, and the MTV
Movie Awards. In 2011, Burnett also produced the Emmy Awards which aired on
Fox. Burnett has won many awards for his work in television including four
People's Choice Awards as well as four Emmy's. In addition to the 10 hour
History Channel drama based on the Bible, Burnett has also joined forces with Law & Order producer
Dick Wolf to create a new NBC reality series pairing servicemen with
celebrities to compete in physical competition. He is also currently completing
Robogeddon with
acclaimed film director James Cameron.
This is what the wicked are like – always carefree, they increase in
wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart Pure; in vain have I washed my
hands in innocence. Psalm
73:12-13
One
of the great spiritual questions many people wrestle with is the issue of why
good people sometimes suffer, while so many bad people prosper. It is not a new
question. Our verses today are from a psalm written by a man named Asaph. He
was one of King David's chief musicians, who wrote this psalm after struggling
with this very issue!
Earlier
in the psalm, Asaph tells us he found himself envying the prosperity of those
he identifies as "the wicked." As he looks at what appears to be the
lack of fairness in the world, he becomes discouraged about trying to live a
righteous life.
His
conclusion about those who thumb their noses at God is that "the evil
conceits of their minds know no limits." And yet, he observes,
"always carefree, they always increase in wealth." Consequently, he
reaches the conclusion of today's text: "Surely in vain I have kept my
heart pure."
What
does Asaph do to get his head back on straight? He steps back and looks at the
"bigger" picture. He goes to "church." There he remembers
some of the good things that we can't see in the visible world: God is always
with us. God guides us and gives us strength. When our life ends, God takes us
into his presence. As a result of getting his perspective straight, Asaph can
say to God, "In this life, I don't need anything more than to be with
you!"
When
you try to live in a way that is pleasing to God, it is not in vain. If it
seems as though the "bad guys" are always winning, remember that we
have a very limited perspective. As did Asaph, we need to get ourselves into a
place where we can get some perspective. It can change our discouragement to
joy! We can go from victims to victors!
Heavenly
Father, help us remember that living in a way that pleases you is never in
vain. Help us have your perspective on life. Thank you for always being with us
and for living us. Amen.
Adapted
from: A
Story of God And All Of Us: Reflections – Based on The Epic TV
Miniseries THE BIBLE ©
2013 by Lightworkers Media. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc., Used by
permission.
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