Tag: wicked and righteous

The Snail that Dissolves into Slime

New Testament Reading:  1 Corinthians 11
*Psalms Reading:  Psalm 58
Old Testament Reading:  Leviticus 23-24

It is not easy to watch the wicked – those who don’t know God or choose not to follow God – prosper.  Whether it’s wealth or power or fame, it can be very frustrating and disheartening.  It’s easy to think, “That’s not fair!”. 

In Psalm 58 David describes the rulers as wicked, having hands that deal out violence, lying from birth, and having venom.  He follows that by asking God to deal with them….and not very kindly.  Verses 6-9 are David asking God to “break the teeth in their mouths”, “when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted”, “let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime”, and that God would “sweep them away”.   At first, verse 10 seems to speak of enjoying seeing the rulers fall, “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;  he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.”.  But it is not enjoyment, but rather an encouragement to the righteous to see God judge the wicked rulers.  An encouragement in that we can know that, even though they had the power in this life, God will judge them.  He ends this Psalm by encouraging the righteous, “Mankind will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth’”. 

Don’t pray for bad things to happen to others.  Even those who make really, really bad choices.  Pray, rather, that God gives you the strength to stand firm.  Then you will be able to say, as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 11, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 

-Todd and Amy Blanchard

Reflection Questions

  1. Paul’s statement is a very confident one.  One I don’t feel comfortable making.  Maybe in some areas, but not overall.  What characteristics do you have that are good for others to imitate?  What areas might you need to more closely imitate Christ? 
  2. It’s easy to want bad things to happen to bad people.   It’s hard to wait for God’s vengeance to “give them what they deserve”.  Is there anyone you need to leave in God’s hands?  To trust in God’s timing and ability to judge rightly?  Pray that God will give you strength to trust He will take care of it.
  3. There were many parts of God’s character in today’s reading.  Which ones were you most drawn to?
sgl23bibleplanDownload

Sucked into Sin

Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29 16 NIV

This chapter of proverbs continues the thoughts from the previous one – speaking on the contrasts from the wicked and the righteous. Proverbs 28 and 29 give us wonderful examples, not only of recognizing sinful ways but, of the habits that could sneak into our own lives. Many a good man and woman have been corrupted in time by the allure of sin. Additionally, it is noted in this proverb that those who we surround ourselves with can lead us into sin. We must choose carefully who we associate with and be wary that they do not drag us into sin and away from God.

In my youth I hung out with people that did a lot of things that I knew were not good. Drugs, alcohol, and other activities were happening all around me. I hung out with them because I liked being around them but I never let myself fall into their ways. I always thought that made me okay but all it would have taken is one encounter with law enforcement and I would have been found just as guilty as the rest. Wow! That hit me like a ton of bricks when I first realized that. God was watching out for me but I was really pushing the boundaries of His grace and I realize that now. In that I am reminded that we are not to put our God to the test. Yet that is exactly what I was doing for years. He truly is merciful and gracious!

One last thought from this passage that actually ties back to what I wrote about for Proverbs 27 concerning anger, check it out if you missed it. Giving full vent to our anger as this proverb points out is bad. Yet I said before that it is good. No, not is good, but may be good and can help. Verse 11 says that a wise man keeps himself under control. Anger released rationally, controlled, is what I spoke of the previous day. This is talking about rage. Rage is uncontrolled, irrational, and violent. There can be no compassion or concern in rage but you can have both while angry. Understanding this is important for our relationships. That is why we have the saying, “Count to ten before speaking.”

In closing, I urge you to be aware of the various ways in which we can get sucked into sin. Be careful to not place yourself into a situation where you become guilty by association. And remember that we were created for relationships. They are vitally important to our God and to our daily existence. Treat them with the care that they deserve.

To be continued…

Jeff Ransom