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“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always.” (Proverbs 23:17, NASB)

The sinner does not regard the law of the Lord as applicable to him; nor does he consider valid the instructions of his Creator. The fact is this: We all have been active sinners; dismissive of God’s law and disdainful of His rightful authority.

Are we tempted to envy those we see cruising on sin’s easy boulevard while we endure the inconveniences of the narrow moral road? Yes! We feel sin’s tug because of our humanity. However, we were created for grander purposes. Do not give-up; and do not give-in to envy.

To “live in the fear of the Lord” is to be continuously mindful of the things that matter to the Lord — and to allow your heart to follow the Spirit’s leading. – Luther

Tagged envy, the book of Proverbs, the fear of the Lord

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“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” (Psalm 37:1-2, NIV)

Today’s scripture from the psalms reminds us of two important things: (1) To not fret because of the deeds of evil people; and (2) to not be envious of those who prosper in wrong-doing.

Sadly, there are some in our society who promote lawlessness.

Worse still, there are others who envy the fruit of lawlessness (e. g. ill-gotten wealth, cheap fame, stolen influence). For these individuals, the adage, “crime doesn’t pay,” is not supported by the evidence.

The scripture reminds us not to fret because of such people. Yes, they are a source of senseless pain. Yes, they do destroy and leave nothing in its place. Do not fret, we are told, because they will not endure.

God has not forgotten the righteous. In the meantime, follow the words of John Wesley (1703-1791): “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” – Luther

Tagged anger, envy, John Wesley, lawlessness, the book of Psalms, worry

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“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the Lord always.” (Proverbs 23:17, NASB)

The sinner does not regard the law of the Lord as applicable to him; nor does he consider as valid the instructions of his Creator. The fact is this: We all have been active sinners; dismissive of God’s law and disdainful of His rightful authority.

Are we tempted to envy those we see cruising on sin’s easy boulevard while we endure the inconveniences of the narrow moral road? Yes! We feel the tug because of our humanity. However, we were created for grander purposes. Do not give-up; and do not give-in to envy.

To “live in the fear of the Lord” is to continuously mindful of the things that matter to the Lord — and to allow your heart to follow the Spirit’s leading. – Luther

Reminder: Daily Encouragement not be published tomorrow, but — Lord willing — returns on Monday! Make Sunday a great day for rest, recreation, and worship.

Tagged envy, God's law, righteousness, the book of Proverbs