Don’t Let Your Heart Envy Sinners – (Proverbs 23:17-18)

Daily Proverbs
Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.

Daily Bible Study
How many times have we witnessed the wicked prosper, succeed and prosper even more. And all the time, we are left wondering, where is God? Dear believer we have to remember they are not prospering because the world is righteous. They are prospering because we live in a corrupt and fallen world. And because they enjoy the evil of this world they prosper within it. The Apostle Paul calls Satan the "prince of the power of the air." This is because Satan is the main influence behind the ideologies, psychologies, social trends and social movements of this world. Therefore the wicked can prosper because they are in step with the evil that permeates the world we live in, and this should come as no surprise to us.

And this is why God tells us here in His word not to envy them. We are not to desire after the things of the wicked. Instead, we are to be zealous for the things of God and the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. We are to remember this world is passing away and so too will those who remain in rebellion against God. And the time we spend here does not compare to the eternity that awaits us. There is no amount of gain or material wealth collected in this world that is worth eternity in Hell. Moreover, there is no amount of gain or material wealth that can compare to the glory and the wonder of our eternal home. Therefore, we are to live in "fear of the Lord." This was a Jewish idiom that meant having a deep down love, awe and respect for God. And we are to walk in a covenant relationship with God, a relationship we have today through Jesus Christ our Lord.