This post is part of my ongoing series of writing down my thoughts on the Bible passages I read each day. Some days I hope to have great insight that the Lord gives me, and many days, I will likely struggle through the text and not know what to write down based on what I read. My hope and prayer is that as I make this a habit, just as I did daily writing for so long, that I will improve on my ability to read and understand the passages I’m reading. Please keep in mind that many of these posts may be published late at night or with little time studying and simply be my first thoughts after reading. This is in no way a commentary that one should use to discern the Bible, but my own personal thoughts.
I am often times convicted of this reading through the Proverbs, but less so usually when reading through the Psalms. However, in chapter 73, I was once again convicted of my “envy of the wicked.”
To be honest, it’s much less so than in the past. It is quite easy as true Christians to feel like you miss out on many pleasures of the world. Or at least what the world tells you are pleasures. This chapter talks about how the wicked are sleek and fat. The world tells us that being sleek and the fat is a good thing. That having a lot of money or being really good at something makes you enjoy life more fully.
If the story of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins isn’t true, then they are right. The only way to have any kind of happiness in this world would be to go after those earthly pleasures. However, we know that it is true. It is what we hang our very life upon.
Because of this, all of the words to Jesus spoke are also true. Including the ones that talk about storing up for yourselves treasures in heaven instead of on earth.
As Christians, we should not be envious of how the wicked live, because we have an eternal hope that we are able to look to instead of earthly pleasures.
The way God does everyday things, from our earthly perspective, so often seems counterintuitive. How much more will the eternal plan for all people seem odd to our human thoughts?