Proverbs - Being Good Pays Off

Proverbs 14:19

The evil bow before the good;

and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

Sometimes when people are directly disobeying their Creator’s laws of life, they seem happy and successful.  We can even start to wonder whether keeping God’s Word really makes a difference.  Here we see what eventually happens.  The evil will bow before the good and the wicked bow at the gates of the righteous.  In Psalm 73, David started to be hypnotized and deceived by the apparent success of evildoers.  They seemed so happy and together.

                   

Ps 73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

David was going by what he saw and his conclusions led him to envy.  The wicked seemed to be getting away with everything and enjoying life to the fullest.  Ladies, what we see and what is really happening in the hearts of men are often very far apart.  The Christmas card picture always looks like everyone is doing well.  When we meet up for the holidays, everyone is dressed their best, and presenting their polished presence.  In Psalm 73 we learn that David was in a “slippery place” and full of unnecessary pain by looking at others and coming to the wrong conclusions based on what he saw and thought.  Ladies, we are in a good place when we focus on obeying our Maker and doing what is right in His sight.  In the long run we will remain standing no matter how high and lifted up others seem to be.  In the same Psalm the Lord tells us that the wicked are in slippery places as well and that what may appear as success can be over in just a moment.

Ps 73:16 -19 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.  Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

Once David went into the sanctuary of God, then he understood how things were going to end up.  We need to come into His presence and bring our observations before Him.  Our own evaluations could very well be rooted in partial truths and be used by our adversary to cause us to question our God’s goodness and truth.  Ps 37:3 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good ; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”