How will you race against horses?

In Jeremiah 12:1-4, Jeremiah questions the fairness of God's judgment. In verse 1 (NLT), Jeremiah asks,

Why are the wicked so prosperous?

Why are evil people so happy?

We all have, at one time or another, asked the same questions. Of course, asking such questions implies that we do not count ourselves among the wicked. Thus, when we find ourselves asking such questions, let's first step back and reassess our own behavior.

But God, in his response to Jeremiah, illustrates another problem with asking such questions. In verse 5 (NLT), God responds,

If racing against mere men makes you tired,

how will you race against horses?

I believe God is telling Jeremiah to stop worrying about the fairness of God's judgment. The world presents enough obstacles to our spiritual focus, so why is Jeremiah worrying about supposedly "wicked" people receiving their due punishment? After all, does God need any input from Jeremiah on judicial matters?

The message, therefore, is that our prayers should maintain focus on spiritual, heavenly concerns, rather than earthly issues. Let's leave issues to judgment to God.