The Wicked get
theirs
Anyone who has conversed with me
for more than a few minutes about ministry and our relationship with the world
has no doubt heard one of my oft repeated truisms: "Success
does not mean approval”. As a matter of fact I have placed this
quote above Psalm 37 in my Bible to
remind me that for those of us who are children of God, the exact opposite is
true, and "Approval means success."
This is a truth that may not always be evident in our success oriented society.
The premier driving force in business certainly is not divine
approval. Societal approval may be sought after at times,
somewhere in the list of objectives, but who would deny that success is
first? It is unfortunate, but the same is often true within Christianity
as practiced by some in the past as well as in modern times. In this article, I
would like to convince you that many successful ventures or plans are not
approved by God, and that success in life and ministry will not guarantee
approval by God. I do not want to be charged with saying that to be approved
you must be unsuccessful! No, No, I am definitely not saying that. I am
rather pointing out that there are programs, ventures, organizations and actions
that appear to the eyes of man to lead to success, but which, because they are
not approved by God, are sometimes less than useless!
I would like to illustrate this point by digging deeper into Psalm
37. (See the entire Psalm below)
This Psalm teaches several main points:
- Don't worry about the success of the wicked.
- Their end is sure.
- Your end is sure.
- God is in control of both.
- You must trust in God.
- The two "ends" are exact opposites.
Verse one sets the tone of the
whole Psalm when it says "Fret not thyself".
This word "fret" CHARAH
in the Hebrew (Strong’s Dictionary #2734), carries the idea of “fuming”
and “heat”, with the implication of envy or burning jealousy.
This fretting happens to us at times because we cannot help but see the wicked
as they seen to prosper from their wickedness and appear to enjoy life in spite
of their ungodly and sometimes downright nasty life style. It reminds us of
Habakkuk's problem when he asked God why the wicked compassed the righteous
about with no apparent consequences. ( see Hab.
1:3-4)
Our present text tells us not to
fret ourselves over this matter, because God has everything under control.
He also tells us in the same verse "neither
be thou envious against the workers of iniquity" And
immediately tells us why. Because: "they
shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb"
But we have some difficulty receiving this word also because we do not always
see the wicked get what’s coming to them. Most of them will not reap what they
sow until they face the judgment of God in the age to come. This is not
satisfactory to us. This is not what we want to hear. We want payment in full
now! This is where our faith in the certainty of God’s Word comes in. Do
we really believe that God will judge the wicked? Do we really believe what the Psalmist says in verse 10,
"For yet a little while, and the wicked
shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be"
and verse 13, "The Lord shall laugh at him:
for he seeth that his day is coming." And again verse 20
"But the wicked shall perish and the
enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume: into smoke
shall they consume away." And yet again verses 35 and 36,
"I have seen the wicked in great power, and
spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea I sought him but
he could not be found."
Some we find ourselves devoting more energy to the
exposure and condemnation of the wicked than we do to the development and
comfort of the saints. Not so this Psalm. Notice the message. Notice the key
words. Verse 3. "Trust in the Lord",
verse 4, "Delight thyself also in the Lord",
verse 5, "Commit thy way unto the Lord",
verse 7, "Rest in the Lord"
"wait ... for Him",
"Fret not thyself"
(again), verse 8, "Cease from anger and
forsake wrath", "Fret
not thyself" (again).
Get the idea?
The wicked have a certain and frightful end, and it is
our obligation to be sure that we do not partake of it. The beautiful part
about it all is that we know our destiny! Most of the wicked are going
along thinking that this world is the whole ball of wax. But the children of God
look ahead with the knowledge that … "Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” I
Cor. 2:9
Three more verses that should
encourage us and build our faith are 23-25, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his
way, though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth
him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
The principles of success and approval that are
applicable to the wicked in the area of morality are equally true in the
business world. To be honest and upright in your commercial transactions may not
always net the largest profit in time, but will build treasure in heaven. It is
also applicable in the Church. If the church that was most
"successful" was also the one which God "approved", we could
all join the church of Rome and forget the Reformation for which so many
perished. It applies to T.V. preachers and mountain top reachers and everything
in between.
When once you see that "approval means success",
and not the other way around, the entire Bible takes on a deeper meaning. Your
conscience begins to be pricked when you hear the Lord tell you not to lay up
treasure upon earth, not to worry, not to be anxious, to be content, to trust,
etc, etc. The answer of course is to belong to Jesus, to take up your Cross, to
die to self, and to live unto Christ.
Success does
not mean Approval
but
Approval means Success
Help us Lord to seek first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness. Amen.
________________________________________________________________________
Psalm
37:
A
Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious
against the workers of iniquity. 2
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green
herb. 3 Trust
in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt
be fed. 4
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of
thine heart. 5
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to
pass. 6 And
he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the
noonday. 7
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of
him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to
pass. 8
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do
evil. 9
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they
shall inherit the earth. 10
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt
diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 11
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the
abundance of peace. 12
The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his
teeth. 13
The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. 14
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast
down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation. 15
Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be
broken. 16
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many
wicked. 17 For
the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholdeth the righteous. 18
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be
for ever. 19
They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine
they shall be satisfied. 20
But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the
fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away. 21
The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous showeth
mercy, and giveth. 22
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be
cursed of him shall be cut off. 23
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his
way. 24
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth
him with his hand. 25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.