Where People Fit!

Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy. When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:1,2
Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.Proverbs 29:6
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.Proverbs 29:7
Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger.Proverbs 29:8
If a wise person goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace. Proverbs 29:9
The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright. Proverbs 29:10
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Proverbs 29:11

Throughout a person's life, they go through stages--trying to determine where they fit in with life's scheme of things for them.

I believe that however a person turns out--in life--begins with the foundation that is laid when they begin seeing themselves in the environment in which they find themselves. And as such, when people realize what their surroundings are and they can make a difference or simply accept it--they are in position to choose their end in life. Being born into a poverty-ridden environment doesn't mean that's how a person how to end their life. Being born into a gilded society where a person has everything done for them, doesn't mean they will be a better person for it and many end up being morally corrupt.

What I've discovered about many (not all) people who had to work their way to what they wanted (nothing given to them except moral standards), they are more inclined to have a benefactor's heart. They always want to help someone--without fanfare or recognition--just to make sure someone has a chance for a better life.

At the opposite end of this spectrum--those born with "silver/gold spoons" as feeding utensils, usually (not always) end up looking down on those who did not have what they have and have no compassion on those who do not what they were given at birth. They tend to go through life thinking the world owes them and they do for others when they can derive attention for it.

Looking at The Word of God, we see primarily how people fit into specific categories in our general society. Now, note these adjectives are not the labels earned at the beginning of life, but rather near the end of life.

The stiff-necked--after many rebukes--those who refuse to change their ways.

The righteous--those who do what is right according to God's Word.

Evil-doers--those who plot and plan to do evil to others for their own gain.

The wicked--those who thrive on doing evil and enjoy it.

The wise--those who respect and adhere to wisdom from above.

The fool (stupid, idiot) those who have been taught what is right, but rebel against it to go their own way and keep finding themselves in a rut--never moving forward, always blaming others for their outcome since they refuse to accept responsibility for what they do or don't do.

The bloodthirsty--those who do not care about the bloodshed of others in their quest to accomplish their own missions.

Thinking about what we do and why we do it--we should be able to find ourselves in one of these categories. Where do you fit?

What The Righteous Can Anticipate For Obeying God!

"Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes." (Psalm 112:6-8 NIV)

What can the righteous--those in right-standing with God expect? The first verse begins the expectations for the righteous. "Blessed is the man who fears (reverently respects) the Lord and delights in keeping His commands." And then, the blessings are enumerated along with the curses for those who do not reverently respect The Lord or delight in His commands.

The righteous shall never be moved or ruffled by current events--not wars, nor rumors of war, not the foolishness of politicians or the ungodliness of judges. They shall not be moved the obvious influences of Satan that lead to the deaths of innocents or plots to overthrow. The righteous shall be remembered forever for their attempts to live a life that pleases God and not man.

The righteous shall have not fear or be moved by all the bad news in the world. They will--with every event--look to the Lord for comfort and solace and keep praising Him for His goodness. With every newscast that broadcasts events that cause others to shudder and quake, the righteous will continue to pray, and not be overly concerned about what they see on the surface, for they know The Word and the times in which we live. The righteous understand that certain events must take place as the final revelation unfolds for all the world to see. The righteous are not concerned about their end for they know, their final destination is to spend eternity with Jesus.

As we get closer to seeing those things that must come--we know the end is not yet--but we are getting closer. Satan's influence in the minds of people can be see in every aspect of our daily lives. He is the author of confusion and chaos and where ever he reigns, we can see the results. When men and women are distraught over who God intended them to be and change to please themselves, it is confusion that ignites the change and chaos that ensues. Throughout history--if one would care to investigate--every time man rises up against God and His intent for our being, tragedy occurs on every front, leaving some shaking their heads, confused because they do not realize we were created for His good pleasure and not our own.

Finally, when the end comes--the righteous will have opportunity to see the look amazement on the faces of all those who attempted to belittle and persecute those who trust in The Lord. For when The Lord returns to claim those who are His, the rest will have only a fiery lake to anticipate--their eternity for unbelief and disobedience.

Of course, there will remain those who continue to pacify flesh instead of seeking God's wisdom and obeying Him. They will be without excuse for their final outcome for the righteous--those in right-standing with God--have ever continued to point them in the right direction and they refused to see the benefit of obeying our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Blessed to Bless!

"Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." (Proverbs 10:6 NIV)

The righteous--those living in right standing with God--will always have what they need--food for themselves and plenty to share with others.

The wicked--those who ignore God and His Word--are overcome with violent thinking which leads to violent behavior and will result in the death of them and others.

The righteous are not perfect, but are always trying to please God and are quick to repent when they mess up.

The wicked never acknowledge they are wrong and hate to be corrected.

The righteous are more apt to see the world differently--they see the possibilities for all to succeed in righteousness.

The wicked only see through the eyes of evil--always thinking about how they can obtain what does not belong to them.

The righteous hear God when He speaks and say what He says to all who will listen.

The wicked are carnal and only listen to the dictates of their flesh to determine what they do.

The righteous care for the poor and the needy and will defend their rights before God and man.

The wicked are only concerned about their rights and will violate the rights of others to get what they want and do what they want to do.

God sees the righteous and the wicked and when it rains--it rains on both. When tragedy overcomes the land, both feel the disastrous results. When there seems to be no way out of danger--the righteous seek God, while the wicked seek more wicked. Both have reservations for the end of the matter--at the end of life's journey--heaven is reserved for the righteous and the lake of fire reserved for the wicked.

The righteous are blessed to be a blessing to others and the wicked--are cursed and cause others who follow them to be cursed as well. Which would you rather be--blessed to bless or caused to cursed?

He Sees and Hears!

"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry" (Psalm 34:15).

Have you ever felt like someone was watching every move you made? You're not alone in that feeling.  In fact, we are all being watched--the righteous and the wicked alike--by the One who sees and hears all things. However, when the Lord sees the righteous in trouble, He hears their cries unto Him and responds.

Who are the righteous? Every person who has a relationship with God and is doing what is right in His sight is the righteous. We know that His eyes are in every place, seeing the good and the evil. When we care about maintaining our relationship with Him, we do not do the things we know would displease Him. For when we delight in the Lord (take pleasure in pleasing Him), He gives us the desires of our hearts (when they align with His Word).

We can rest assured in the knowledge that though we will go through trials and tribulations, we will come through them victorious because Jesus forewarned us, through John's Gospel. Sometimes, it just doesn't seem fair that those who live a righteous life suffer the same things as those who don't know God. But if we never had to suffer, never felt persecuted, never been subjected to ridicule and scorn, we would not have a testimony to share with others about how good God is. If we never knew how He can deliver us from evil, how would we be able to share it? If we never knew about His healing virtue, how could we tell someone else?

God--in His infinite wisdom--allows us to "go through" things so He can develop us and then use us to "get through" to others when we can magnify Him in all things. Glory to God! Use us Lord to Your glory! We will come through all the trials, triumphantly--gladly singing His praises and having a testimony about how awesome He is.

If we never had a trial, would we call upon the Lord? If our lives were perfect in every way, would we be able to say, God is good, all the time? If we never had a reason to talk to Him about self or others, would we do it? Think about it! God wants us totally dependent upon Him, as His children, so He can provide everything we need--proving Himself to be a great Father! Oh yes, He is God and He is God all by Himself and I am so thankful and grateful for His love that I would not have my life any other way--depending on Him for everything!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the trials and tribulations that You allow to come upon us to make us strong so we can tell others of Your goodness. We thank You for loving us enough to come down to our level and for saving us from ourselves. We thank You for providing for us--everything we need and our hearts' desires. Help us to stay focused on You and to be willing to share--our testimonies so others will come to know You for themselves. Amen!