“To show respect to the wicked person is not good, Nor to push aside and deprive the righteous of justice.” Proverbs 18:5 AMP
It seems like King Solomon had a vision into the age in which we live in today! This generation has exhalated sin to a level of honor and praise. It seems like the deeper you travel into the practice of sin the more enlightened you are considered. Out verse today speaks loud and clear, “To show respect to the wicked person is not good.” The Hebrew used here to say “not good” is a combination of two words. One meaning “pertaining to the moral opposite of evil,” and one meaning “the act of providing harmful information in either oral or written form.” We hear so much today about the availability of controversial information being made available to our children at school and in the community trying to convince them that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is actually right! The people who are the basest in their lifestyle have been “lifted up” in the eyes of the world and have become the standard for acceptance. I am reminded of the verse in the book of Romans:
“Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.”
Romans 1:32 AMP
What an accurate picture of that which is taking place today in our schools and communities! As we see the tide turning against that which is moral and excellent, we must be willing to hold the line for the truth of God’s Word. This means that we must each individually make a conscious decision that no matter the scorn, we will keep His commands! There is a great verse in the Scripture,
“The LORD is the portion of my inheritance, my cup [He is all I need]; You support my lot. 6The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. 7I will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my heart (mind) instructs me in the night. 8I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalms 16:5-8 AMP
What a beautiful statement! Have the lines of Gods ways fallen in a pleasant place in your life? I love this verse as it speaks to the very place that I can find peace and security; “the LORD who has counseled me.” As the world presses in all around, I can be assured that truth and grace can only be found in the council of the Lord! God has given us His Word so that we might avoid the pain and result of sin so as to live a happy and fulfilled life. The key here is that we “…set the Lord continually before me” each and every day. The reward for this type of lifestyle is mentioned in the remainder of the Psalm.
“Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my innermost self] rejoices; My body too will dwell [confidently] in safety, 10For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 11You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalm 16:9-11 AMP
While we know that this verse speaks about the resurrection of Jesus, the promise of God to us is we also will not suffer the consequences of the grave because of His work on the cross! The book of Hebrews clearly tells us that,
“Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death–that is, the devil– 15and [that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 AMP
As redeemed and sanctified children of God, we need not fear the wrath or scorn of the world today. Remember that the darker the night the brighter your light will shine. Many today are lost in the dark of the night looking for the guiding light to the place of freedom. Are you willing to be the light in the midst of this dark world? Have a bright and shinning day! Pastor Ken