Posted on 06/23/2019 6:14:59 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:17-18).
“Let not thine heart envy sinners,” if the young people have a failing, or a fault, this is it—it is easy to envy sinners. The world paints sin as the way to a happy life and the good life. All over the billboards the guy has a bottle of liquor and two beautiful women hanging off his arms. Buy this product and the women will find you irresistible. In advertising, illicit sexual adventure sells.
“. . . but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long,” now, the world laughs at such warnings. They picture Christians is the worst light possible, often having them clothed in the garb of puritans somehow to suggest that righteousness is so last century. Well, in Psalm 1:1-6, the Lord is going to destroy sinners. God hasn’t changed, righteousness hasn’t changed, and His judgment has certainly not changed: “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous” (Psalms 1:5).
Don’t envy sinners. They may look like they have it all going for them today, but judgment is coming. “Now” isn’t all there is. “Later” is still on the way, and their latter end is not at all pleasant. Now is just a short time, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). What about eternity?
Just get the “fear of the Lord,” you just get good and scared of God, and you’ll always be in good company.
“For surely there is an end,” don’t envy sinners. Why? Because “there is an end.” At the end of the road, the wages of sin is death. There is an end. That’s how it turns out. Some people just have no concept of consequences.
“. . . and thine expectation shall not be cut off,” for the man that fears God and does right: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Serve God, live right, and your expectations shall not fail.
Let’s read a chapter of Proverbs a day and see what God might have for us. As the Lord leads, share with us what God has shown you in a special way and by His grace let us build up a devotional repository. Let’s keep our knives and forks handy for some daily bread!
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Praise and glory to God ! I am of the opinion that “fear” of God is not touched upon enough in church teachings....one should always be aware of how easily we as humans can slide back into sin and a healthy natural “fear” should arise from falling out of Gods grace.
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