A GREAT HOPE!
Proverbs 24:19-20
Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, 20 for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Chloe was on her first deer hunt. She and her dad were in a box blind overlooking a small alfalfa field. Chloe was excited and she was just counting on dad to tell her what and when she could shoot.
Late in the afternoon deer began filtering out of the thick evergreens and into the field where they ate each evening. Being only 7 years old Chloe was happy to take any buck that presented the opportunity. Several bucks and does entered the field, but the bucks either didn't come into range, or didn't stand still long enough for the young girl to settle her sights on him.
And one point Chloe asked, "Daddy what is the biggest buck you've ever taken?" Her father answered, "an eleven point buck.," to which Chloe responded, "let's pray for a 12 point buck.".... They prayed.
Within a few minutes what appeared to be a big 10 point buck entered the field. To Chloe's dad's amazement, the buck walked right to the middle of the field, 50 yards in front of the stand, turned broadside and lowered his face into the alfalfa and began eating. Seconds later Chloe's rifle "barked" and Chloe had her first buck. When she and her dad approached the buck and counted the points... 12 was the count.
We work hard at our hunting. While I don't hunt much myself anymore, I work hard for everyone else's hunting. There are times that I see others succeeding in their hunts when I know that they've put very little into the hunt. Occasionally we even see Boone and Crockett animals taken by people that have put little to no effort in a hunt. It can be very frustrating to say the least. There even times I find myself getting little envious or angry.... That's a waste of my energy.
I know that I often also struggle when I see someone that is apparently succeeding in life that is doing it by seemingly dumb luck or by ungodly means... when we might be struggling to make ends meet and doing ministry. I want to stop and ask God, "why do you let this happen"?
Then I remember I remember verse 20 "for the evildoer has no future hope". There are times that God allows us to struggle as He knows that this will build us into what He wants us to be.
I often have to just trust that God's plan is not my plan and His purposes are perfect. In Matthew 5:45 it tells us that, "for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Who am I to question that?
James 1:2-4 tells us why we should be happy when we face hardships and trials.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
While others flourish with no concern for and/or no relationship with God, those that don't know Him, don't have a hope beyond this life. Those of us with a relationship with God know that when we face tough times and trials it's for our betterment.
Our God is a fair and just God... He gives everyone the same chance to know Him in a very personal way. For those that have that relationship, there is tremendous hope... For those that don't know Him, there is no hope... just today.
Don't try to take away the pleasure of one that will not see eternal joy and peace. God has a plan in your life and what others experience makes no difference in His plan for you and I.
Most importantly, are you sure of your hope? No matter what others experience, is your relationship with Jesus Christ what it should be? King David knew joy and knew pain. He saw the sinful thrive at times.... But he wrote of joy in the Lord in Psalm 16:11
"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
Concentrate on our own joy and not that of others. God has a plan for your life. There is great hope in that plan.
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