It may not be this week, it may not happen this year, it may not take place in your lifetime, but there will be a divine payday—judgment—someday for the wicked!

At the proper time, human sinfulness and institutional evil will be called to account before the righteous God who has watched over every square inch of the earth with penetrating moral clarity every second since time began. That proper time may come sooner, or it may come later, but it will come for sure.

This calls for patient endurance on the part of God’s people, who prayerfully long for his “justice to roll down like waters in a mighty stream,” as the prophet Amos said. Like David in Psalm 10, we too, witness the perpetration of evil by those who have no regard for God and live as if there is no God (v.4), and we cry out, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (v. 1) Perhaps even more frustrating, we are overwhelmed by the evil systems of the world—governments, financial institutions, business, unions, academic bodies, boards and various other seats of power that are ruled by unassailable philosophies rather than identifiable human beings—as they continue to harass, oppress, cheat and destroy the defenseless.

But James 5:7-9 reminds us, “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”

Think about this: What wicked nation has remained in power for more than 500 years? None! What evil institution has stayed in business for more than 200 years? I challenge you to name one! What vile person has lived more than 120 years? The last I checked, the death rate for the wicked is hovering around 100%

My point is, they have all been brought low and have perished from the earth. But God remains! So rather than keeping my eyes on that which will fade before the eternal God, I am casting my lot with him.

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“That which a man spits against heaven, shall fall back on his own face.” (Thomas Adams)

Making Life Work: The next time you are frustrated by some current evil in your world—an abusive boss, a bully at school, corporate executives who rake in millions while laying off workers, poverty in Africa, pollution of God’s green earth—do what you can to address it. Don’t let evil overwhelm you, but overcome it with good, as Paul says in Romans 12:21.

And even though much of the evil in your world will still remain after you have done all that you can do, remember, this evil, too, will perish from the earth.