October 14 – A comfort and a warning

A little while, and the wicked person will be no more; though you look for him, he will not be there.  But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity.  (Psalm 37:10-11 HCSB)

Like we said a few days ago, God is not telling us this so we can rub our hands in glee as we anticipate the destruction of our enemies.  Gloating over someone’s downfall is a sin.  But on the same token, knowing God’s attitudes towards evil is important.  

We’ve spoken about not fretting when evil people appear to succeed, knowing that nothing anyone does escapes God’s eyes.  This should be both a comfort for us, and a warning as well.  What if the wicked person is the secret sinful self still hiding within you?  That person who enjoys gossip, foul language or criticizing others and blaming God in order to feel good about his or herself?  That person who indulges in a habit, addiction, a type of behavior that they know isn’t from God?  If this old self is still alive in you and you refuse to kill it off, you fall into the category of the wicked person who will be no more.  Search your heart and see if this might be the case. 

The solution to this is easy.  Be humble before God.  Obey what He commands.  Die to you flesh and to your selfish ways.  There is nothing you can hide from Him anyway, even if you try to disguise yourself in church as a true believer.  God can see right through you, and the devil can see all the darkness that hovers around you as well.  The darkness of a false Christian makes you even more desirable for the devil to curse you than the darkness of a total unbeliever.  You appear to bear the name of Jesus, and a destroyed Christian is a great advertisement for the devil’s kingdom.  Not only do you destroy yourself by hiding unrepentant sin, but you damage the name of Jesus with a poor testimony.

When God promises the humble abundant prosperity, He always means far more than money, although financial stability does come with trusting in Him.  A rich miser whose family despises him may be a billionaire, yet does not have an abundant life at all.  God’s abundance affects every area of our lives, and it is ours to have when we remain in a state of active, courageous, and humble trust in Him.