DO NOT (PART 27) – KEEP YOUR FOCUS

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Proverbs 24:19-20         

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How many times have we seen or experienced this scenario?

A person who does good for others and seeks to follow the Lord faithfully struggles to make it day in and day out or seems to always face hardship while someone who has cheated or done something wrong prospers.

It happens, right?

So how do we respond to these matters? What is our reaction when the wicked seemingly thrive while the righteous toil in difficulty?

I will say that we often turn to envy more times than we would care to admit. We yearn to have a life free from challenges, a life where we can flourish financially and physically, a life free from cares, a life on easy street.

That is our dream life but that life is centered on the wrong thing. That life is a life where our focus has lost with the center of attention being the world and those in it as it applies to our situations. And in living that kind of life, we pull away from the One we should be centered on, Jesus, the One who desires us to seek treasures in heaven instead of the treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

When we lose our focus, directing it toward the world, we zoom in on the domain of the sinful for Satan’s work is done in this world we live in. The world is where wickedness is the normal way of doing business and so many find gains here doing evil. That in no way elevates them above those who stand firm of the foundation of Christ and remain satisfied with their life in Him. Conversely, a life lived in wickedness only carries with it the harshest penalties imaginable and if we remember this, we never will ever find ourselves envying those gaining in sin. Instead, we will find ourselves pitying and praying for them, seeking to do what we can to rescue them from the consequences sure to be placed upon them.

What are those consequences?

Look at the words of the 29th of the thirty Sayings of the Wise found in the Book of Proverbs:

Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. Proverbs 24:19-20

Did you fully grasp the negative consequences awaiting the evil and wicked of the world, the ones who choose sin over righteousness?

First, they have no future hope. There is no life beyond the one they revel in presently. They can enjoy their riches and bounty but after life is over, their fun ends. They leave their possessions behind for someone else because they can’t take them with them.

It’s saddens me greatly to know there are so many people in our world who choose willingly to reject and His offer of eternal life in exchange for present day satisfaction. The wicked and evil are willing to forfeit everlasting life for the here and now, knowingly surrendering future hope.

That surrendering of future hope leads to the second consequence that the wicked and evil will suffer. For they will find their lamp snuffed out. The only light the wicked have is worldly light as they snub the One, Jesus, who is the Light of the world, the One who can and will make a person’s lamp shine forever if they place their faith, hope, and trust in Him and in Him alone.

I don’t know where you might be today in regard to your life circumstances. All I know is that if you have lost your focus and have centered your view on yourself and what the world brings you, then you have relinquished your future hope and death will be the end for you, as your lamp will be snuffed out.

The “do not” caution today is simple. The Lord is telling all of us to “do not” lose focus and “do not” attach ourselves to the things of the world, the treasures of the earth, forfeiting the Lord Jesus Christ, and the treasures of heaven He gives to all who believe and trust in Him.

God’s word calls us all to assess where we are today and make changes, if necessary, to get us back on the right path, focusing fully on our Savior Jesus, the source of our future hope, the One who will always keep our lamps lit, the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life, and the only One who can bring us to the Father.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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