Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Proverbs 29:16 (NIV)
When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.
Proverbs 29:16 (MSG)
When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild, but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse.
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“When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases, but the righteous will see the downfall of the wicked.” -AMPLIFIED
“Every choice you make has an end result.” ~Zig Ziglar
Consequences; the results of our choices and actions. It is the due reward or just punishment for the choices and decisions that we have made.
“Many of our trouble occur because we base our choices on unreliable authorities; culture (“everyone is doing it”), tradition (“we’ve always done it”), reason (“it seems logical”), or emotion (“it just felt right”).” ~Rick Warren
“When evil people are free to flourish, sin is on the rise, but the just will surely see their destruction.” -(VOICE)
Solomon informs us that the wicked will flourish, grow or prosper, for a time, but eventually they will meet their downfall. At some point they will receive the consequences for their sinful lives.
“When rulers are wicked, their people are too; but good men will live to see the tyrant’s downfall.” -(TLB)
The Psalmist wrote this song to the Lord; which address the outcome of the enemy of the Lord.
“Your works are marvelous, O Eternal One! Your thoughts are unfathomable. But a weak-minded man can’t understand this; foolish people are unable to see that evil men sprout like grass and wicked men flourish, only so that they will be doomed forever, but You, O Eternal One, are above all, forever. As for Your enemies, O Eternal One, their fate is obvious: those who hate You will not survive; those who practice evil will be broken in pieces.” -Psalm 92:5-9 (VOICE)
Many Christians have become frustrated by the fact that it appears, at least to them that the wicked seem to “get away” with their sin. There seems to be no consequences or comeuppance to the sinful actions of them. There are even those who feel that God has turned a blind eye to the sin in this World.
I am here to remind you that there is always a consequence to our choices, whether good or bad. If someone chooses to make bad choices God will deal with their choices and sin in His time and in His way.
To the Romans Paul wrote about not practicing sin. If you do, Paul tells us, you will become a slave to sin and experience shame and death (spiritual death). Paul wrote:
“So what do we do now? Throw ourselves into lives of sin because we are cloaked in grace and don’t have to answer to the law? Absolutely not! Doesn’t it make sense that if you sign yourself over as a slave, you will have to obey your master? The question before you is, What will be your master? Will it be sin—which will lead to certain death—or obedience—which will lead to a right and reconciled life? Thank God that your slavery to sin has ended and that in your new freedom you pledged your heartfelt obedience to that teaching which was passed on to you. The beauty of your new situation is this: now that you are free from sin, you are free to serve a different master, God’s redeeming justice. Forgive me for using casual language to compensate for your natural weakness of human understanding. I want to be perfectly clear. In the same way you gave your bodily members away as slaves to corrupt and lawless living and found yourselves deeper in your unruly lives, now devote your members as slaves to right and reconciled lives so you will find yourselves deeper in holy living. In the days when you lived as slaves to sin, you had no obligation to do the right thing. In that regard, you were free. But what do you have to show from your former lives besides shame? The outcome of that life is death, guaranteed. But now that you have been emancipated from the death grip of sin and are God’s slave, you have a different sort of life, a growing holiness. The outcome of that life is eternal life. The payoff for a life of sin is death, but God is offering us a free gift—eternal life through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King.” -Romans 6:15-23 (VOICE)
Take notice of that last part again:
“Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.” -(MSG)
If you choose to live a life that ignores God’s ways, choosing to do whatever you want to whether it is right or wrong, choosing to step on and hurt those around you; eventually you will have to face the consequences of those sins. If it does not happen this side of life; which it probably will, then you will face it in eternity.
Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians this warning:
“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” -Galatians 6:7-8 (MSG)
“Temptation can be tormenting, but remember: The torment of temptation to sin is nothing to compare with the torment of the consequences of sin. Remorse and regret cannot compensate for sin….though sins can be forgiven immediately – the consequences can last a lifetime.” ~Edwin Louis Cole
It was David who reminds us not to worry over what will happen to the wicked, or when they will receive their just punishment. David tells us that God will certainly deal with those who choose to sin.
“Don’t be worried with evil workers or envy the gains of people with all-wrong-upside-down ways. Soon enough they will wither like grass, like green herbs fading in summer’s heat. Believe in the Eternal, and do what is good—live in the land He provides; roam, and rest in God’s faithfulness. Take great joy in the Eternal! His gifts are coming, and they are all your heart desires! Commit your path to the Eternal; let Him direct you. Put your confidence in Him, and He will follow through with you. He will spread out righteousness for you as a sunrise spreads radiance over the land; He will deliver justice for you into the light of the high sun.” -Psalm 37:1-6 (VOICE)
“Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.”
~Alfred Armand Montapert
My friend, when you see sin running rampant in the World you have to trust that God will deal with it in His time and in His way. Let us not focus on what others are “getting away” with, but on our own choices and if they line up with the Word of God. Trust God.
“When the honest, sincere Christian is faced with the decision regarding whether a thing is right or wrong, he should ask, does it agree with all that the Scripture has to say on the subject?” ~Curtis Hutson
My Prayer:
Lord, help me to keep my eyes focused on you, listening to your still, small voice and your Word hidden in my heart. Give me wisdom to make good, godly choices. Lead me in the paths of righteousness, I pray. In the same token, remind me that when I see wickedness running rampart that one day you will allow the consequences of that sin that others insist on doing, to come to fruition. Lord, I choose to do things your way, help me to stand strong and let my light shine for you.
Growing with God 