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
You may be
at a point in your life where it seems like everyone around you that isn’t
following the will of God is obtaining the measures of success that you desire…
You may be battling in the mind with staying the course and holding to God’s
unchanging hand because the grass appears to be greener on the other side;
wherever you are in your life or whatever you are battling today, know that
Solomon reminds us today to “Let not
thine heart envy sinners…” The prize that you are working and competing for
may not be seen on this earth, but you can rest your thoughts today on knowing that
“there is an end…” The path that is
broad which many follow appears to be the right direction to go, but the end is
destruction and resentment… Solomon followed the ways of the land even though he
was the wisest man to ever live and in his wisdom he instills in us the fact
that the most important thing we must do on this earth is “be thou in fear of the Lord all the day long…” Despite what questions
or concerns you may have about your situation, you must maintain your reverence
and admiration to the Lord… The bible declares that as a child of God, we walk
“by faith” and not “by sight…” This is mentioned to us because if we walked
according to the things we see and observe we would become disheartened by
circumstances, we would give in to temptations and eventually stray away from
God. The bible also says, “Faith is the
substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen…” God
knows that we will face man hardships on this earth and that whenever we allow
ourselves to focus on worldly issues we will strain our faith and lose sight of
our focus in walking according to His calling… This pilgrimage that we have
begun will surely have twist and turns and if we allow our drive to be altered
by things we see we indeed will fall short… The bible says that the people
during the time of Noah were drinking, dancing and having a good time while
Noah built the ark… This people walked by Noah laughing at him, calling him
crazy and enjoying life… If Noah would have become envious toward these people,
he would have stopped his work on the ark and joined the parade… However, by
him adhering to God’s calling all creation was saved and in the end I can only
imagine how many of those people were knocking on his door as the flood waters
poured in… This Proverb that we read today speaks in parallel with the
situation and opposition that Noah faced in building the ark…
Solomon sat
on the throne over the house of David (his father)… He ruled many years;
however, despite having all authority and 1,000 women, he tells us in the 3rd
chapter of Ecclesiastes that “Everything
is meaningless, a chasing after the wind…” You can achieve all manners of
success on this earth and will never have the happiness or joy that comes from the
father… This is why we are called to remain in fear of Him and remember that
everything that doesn't align with the will of God “shall be cut off”, while those who walking according to His
purpose “shall not be cut off…” We
must understand that in doing the will of God, we must have a heart for service
and not be distracted by our peers…It is very easy for a Christian to envy and
become jealous of one who doesn’t walk in the will of the Lord. You may see
someone who looks to be prospering while you suffer, one who has plenty while
you never have enough, or one who seems happy while you are constantly confused
and shaken… The scripture tells us today that we must have fear (reverence,
respect) of the Lord all day long… God created all things and in believing that
we know that He hasn’t neglected us despite how bad the situation may be or how
good the life of sin may appeal to you… This proverb reminds us to hold to
God’s unchanging hand in the midst of confusion and uncertainty… We are to take
pride in our suffering because we know that when we labor in the Lord we aren’t
working in vain… There is hope for you no matter how tempting to pursue other
alternatives may look and that hope is found here in these scriptures… “For surely there is and end; and thine
expectation shall not be cut off…” There is a finish line for your labor,
there is a crown that awaits and there is a mansion with your name on it… The
sinner seems to be happy, but this world is where his happiness rest, we are
looking forward to a bigger prize, one that will outweigh and out trump the
rewards for the earthly vessel. I know that it is not easy to walk this course
of life, when it seems like the other routes may be easier and more enjoyable…
That is why Paul always wrote letters to encourage the church, the press toward
the mark, to obtain the prize of the high calling… He knew that there would be
some that would refocus on the worldly standard of living, but we seek God in
any and all situations because we know (as the proverb tells us) there is an
end and your expectation shall not be cut off… All the things that motivate you
to continue on your course will come to fruition, all your goals will be met
and God will pour out bountiful blessings upon you! He has not forgotten about
you, He has not abandoned you; He has not turned away from you! So keep the
faith and remember that everything will be well worth the journey when you hear
the words; WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND
FAITHFUL SERVANT!!!!
BE BLESSED!!!
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