Why does it seem that good people suffer while bad people do not?

It might appear that way, but suffering is not exclusive to good, bad, or any other kind of people. Suffering is a human condition – everyone will suffer at one point or another. It is of course true that some suffer more than others, and the reasons for this are many – this would be its own question with a very long answer.

On a side note, appearances can be deceiving, and some who seem to be making merry are the ones suffering the most.

In the long term, those who make bad decisions, or who are selfish, etc. will suffer under the weight of their own behavior. Karma, if you will. This may not seem to be the case, since this can take months, years or a lifetime to come to pass. The opposite of this is also true – rewards will catch up with the “good” people as well, it just may take time.

Jesus told the parable in Matthew 13:24–30 about weeds that were maliciously planted alongside a farmer’s wheat. The farmer left the weeds in place to grow together with the wheat so as not to disturb its growth. When the proper time came, the wheat was harvested and the weeds destroyed. There is a lot that could be said about this, but the aspect of this story that applies here is for patience, and that God is a God of justice, and that it will come in His own time.