Tuesday Reading: Psalm 73:1-14
Key Verse: Psalm 73:3
3 For I was jealous of the proud, when I saw the peace of the wicked.
Devotion:
Be honest... How many times have you been jealous of others because of the positions they hold or the lives they seem to lead. As soon as we start to look at people and think in their own ways then we begin to lose sight of our cause and God in our lives. No matter how much we try to avoid this sort of thing we always seem to come to a point where we look at them and think “why can’t I be like that”. But hopefully you continue to look up to God and to look to Him for you strength and guidance; for so many of those around us are ignoring what God has already said.
Even people who wrote God’s word down for us had to admit to having jealous thoughts about others and had to refocus on God. Here we hear the lamentations of a man who clearly thought that he was getting the rough end of the stick and that those around him were not. But as long as we continue to read we continue to find out that these are just fleeting voices that we hear and nothing more. These wicked people who seem to live a life of luxury and contentment are certainly not content within because they have had to fight for their life all the way. They may well have had to do some pretty horrible things to get there too. Could you live with yourself if you had to break so many of God’s law just to get a bit of creature comfort?
The peace of the wicked is nothing more than a facade that they hold up to show others that they are better off than they are. In reality they may well look at content Christians and think “why can’t I be like that”... What use is a short life of physical pleasure when you have an eternity of torment ahead of you? I would rather put up with a little torment now than have to face an eternity of it later. The peace that God gives us is a peace that stays within, something that the world is constantly seeking and constantly missing because they do not look to God.
Points to Ponder:
What life would you like to live?
Is it worth leaving God out of your life just for that?
