Envying the Wicked

Do you ever wonder why the wicked thrive?  Many wicked people are rich and many are famous along with possessing power and prestige.  They may own million dollar homes and drive big fancy cars or ride in limousines with chauffeurs; they eat at the finest restaurants and go anywhere they want for the most part.  Just about anything they want is at their fingertips because buying things is not a problem for them.  

Knowing this we can be prone to envy and even daydream about having such things, but when the temptation arises we need to resist it and flee, so to speak, from it. Money, possessions, popularity and even power are not what bring real joy; in fact these things can be a curse and virtually destroy the person that has them.  If this is what brings real joy then why are there so many people on drugs and paranoid, committing suicide.  True permanent peace and joy can only come from the inside, not from what we possess. Temporary happiness comes from the things we possess, because as time goes on the things we have get old and not near as desirable anymore and we are looking for the next thing that will make us happy and on and on it goes.  Regardless of what the wicked have they will never be happy and in the end they will be more miserable when they go where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Read how David vividly contrasts the wicked person with the righteous in Psalms 37:1-20,

“Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,

And wither as the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him,

And He shall bring it to pass.

He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,

And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;

Do not fret—it only causes harm.

For evildoers shall be cut off;

But those who wait on the Lord,

They shall inherit the earth.

For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;

Indeed, you will look carefully for his place,

But it shall be no more.

But the meek shall inherit the earth,

And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

The wicked plots against the just,

And gnashes at him with his teeth.

The Lord laughs at him,

For He sees that his day is coming.

The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow,

To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay those who are of upright conduct.

Their sword shall enter their own heart,

And their bows shall be broken.

A little that a righteous man has

Is better than the riches of many wicked.

For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,

But the Lord upholds the righteous.

The Lord knows the days of the upright,

And their inheritance shall be forever.

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,

And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

But the wicked shall perish;

And the enemies of the Lord,

Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish.

Into smoke they shall vanish away.”

If you would like to read the whole Psalm, there are twenty more verses directed to the same theme.  Like I said, resist the temptation to envy wicked people.  You may feel like they have much more than you do at the present time, but the righteous will inherit the earth and nothing can replace the true peace, love and joy that only the Lord can give.  What the wicked have may last a lifetime but what the righteous receive from the Lord will last forever, praise the Lord!!  Something to think about, may you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!