Whom Does God Punish?

Scripture:
So how can you console me with your nonsense?
    Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!
Job 21:34

Observation: Job just spent an entire chapter disproving one concept - that God punishes the wicked during their lives on earth. As he points out, the wicked prosper: They have happy children, luxuries, health, homes, success with livestock and business ... the list goes on. In this way, Job is disproving that he is wicked or has committed sin: God is not punishing him as a wicked person, because God does not punish wicked people.

Application: I have two thoughts on this.

First, I generally agree with Job. God loves everyone, and wishes for everyone to have a good life. He DOES require us to live the consequences of bad decisions. He DOES have us live with the consequences of OTHER'S bad decisions. He does - for now - allow this broken world to function and thus hardships to occur to people. However, he does not attack people as a form of real-time retribution for their evil ways. In fact, it might be possible that - like all dads - God punishes only his own children, ignoring those who are not his (unless the time comes to protect his family).

Second, the entire conversation about prosperity and punishment is an example of how God's ways are so above our ways. All the things Job had and lost - home, sheep, rich foods, family, public reputation - these are earthly things that are generally meaningless in the kingdom of God. From God's perspective, Job hasn't lost anything. And from Job's perspective, while he has lost these things, he is most concerned with whether or not he has lost God's love ... his friends are telling him he has, and he's adamantly refuting just that one fact.

When I interact with God, I need to be aware of what his blessing and his wrath look like. His wrath is not hardship - it would be his withdrawal from my life. His blessing is not wealth or comfort - it is his love that manifests through a relationship with Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love! Please, never withdraw from me, but guide me into a deeper and closer relationship with you.