October 29

Oct 29 - Today from Proverbs 29 we look at verse 16
"When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall."

It seems that the concept of ‘wicked’ is politically incorrect these days. Why? Because identifying wickedness calls for a standard of morality, and a standard of morality erodes one of our highest post-modern social values - freedom. For instance; it is our freedom of speech that allows pornographers to erase moral boundaries, and without moral boundaries there is no wickedness (sic). In his pursuit of the wisdom of this age, man deceives himself and moves ever deeper into darkness. It is in the darkness that moral lines disappear. When believers in God's moral code attempt to bring light, they are persecuted. Jesus says to His disciples (even today), "No servant is greater than his master, If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (John 15:20). Persecution can be in the form of rejection, mockery, isolation, harassment, and even physical harm. As wickedness becomes more acceptable and darkness more pronounced, persecution increases. So much so, that the righteous may begin to wonder if the wicked will prevail all together.
Today the Teacher puts those fears to rest. The wicked may prevail for a season, but eventually the righteous will see their downfall. Why? Because sin is corrosive. Sin rots the fabric of society to where eventually a wicked society can no longer hold together. The payback for immorality will eventually become greater then the pleasure of sin, and wicked man's house of cards will come tumbling down. History has proven this ever since man began to record it.
History has also proven that the righteous will sacrifice and invest into the Kingdom even when they know the dividends may not appear in their generation. They do not live in the darkness, for they see far ahead with an eternal perspective. Love (the God kind), does not simply serve self. In Bible times there were often fig trees along the roadsides to refresh weary travelers in season. Where did they come from? Those who originally planted fig trees by the roadside knew they would probably not live to eat the fruit - but future generations would. These planting servants may well have benefited from trees planted by those who had gone before them. They did not live a selfish life of pleasure hoping that the current trees would at least provide fruit through their lifetime. They took the seed of the fruit from which they had benefited and nurtured some new plants for the future. They invested themselves in service to others - others they may never meet in their lifetime. That is what the righteous do. Hebrews chapter 11 lists a number of the righteous from the Old Testament, and explains their fruit-bearing acts of faith that identifies them as righteous. In verses 38 and 39 God says this of them, "The world was not worthy of them. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised." Unless we see with eyes of faith, we may never see the downfall of the wicked.
Faith calls us to action. The righteous are to "do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:14-16). The righteous will never overcome the darkness by retreating. We are to let our lights shine, for the light overcomes the darkness. The light of the righteous is not indignation and judgment. The light of the righteous is God's grace. That's what those in darkness need to see. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Tired of the wicked prevailing in our sinful, post-modern culture? Plant some fig seeds out there. Follow God's lead in serving your community with good deeds. So what if you do not immediately benefit from it? Someone will - perhaps your grandchildren.