A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
Psalm 37:16-17
Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people? Or why good things happen to bad people? Have you ever been frustrated by the success of someone you felt didn't deserve to succeed -- someone who cheats, lies, or steals to get ahead? Life is full of injustices. But the truth is, if there's anything that takes less effort than cutting corners, cheating, lying, and stealing, it's becoming bitter of those who do.
Bitterness and jealousy come naturally, don't they? Unless we actively push them away, they take over. They cause us to become jaded, cynical, and worse yet, entitled. We begin to think we deserve success, because if even the wicked succeed, why shouldn't we? But Jesus never promised success to anyone who believed in Him -- He promised life. He didn't die on a cross that you might have a more comfortable life, but that you might gain eternal life.
You see, when we harbor bitterness and jealousy, we not only consider ourselves better than those for whom we are bitter and jealous -- we actually consider ourselves more important than God. Our self-righteousness replaces the righteousness of God in our lives. We place our egos in higher esteem than the saving power of Jesus.
No doubt, we live in a world that glorifies sin, where status trumps integrity and power overshadows righteousness. And in such a world, perfect justice simply cannot exist. Life's not fair. But our hope is not in the power and prestige of this world -- it is in the saving power of Jesus! Even a small portion of His love is greater than all the riches of a lifetime on this earth, because a lifetime on this earth amounts to little more than the blink of an eye in the vast scope of eternity.
"A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked" (Psalm 37:16). In fact, "the Lord laughs at [the wicked man], for He sees that his day is coming" (Psalm 37:13). The Lord doesn't even take the wicked seriously... so why should we? Why should we waste our time with bitterness and jealousy, especially of those who are the subject of God's laughter? Worse still, why would we ever want to subject ourselves to the laughter of God by enving the very people He is laughing at? I don't know about you, but I want the Lord to take my life seriously. I want to follow after Him, and no one else. If that's your desire, too, you don't ever want to place your ego ahead of God by envying others.
Don't let bitterness creep into your heart, or allow jealousy to find its way into your motives. Yes, good things will keep happening to bad people, and bad things will keep happening to good people. Life is full of injustices that we'll never be able to fix, much less understand. But today, let "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
Devotions with Emotion
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