Proverbs Chapter 24

You don’t need to be around a three year old for very long before you see that they have very visible shortcomings. Don’t be deceived by their cute little Disney outfits and innocent voices. These little gifts of God come with little agendas. Sure, their agendas are silly, but we can learn a lot from watching children. 

For example, yesterday I fixed breakfast for my two daughters (3 and 5). I gave them both the exact same cereal, same orange juice, same vitamins, same bowls and glasses, and same place mats. Suddenly, the youngest daughter was horrified to realize she didn’t get the pink princess spoon! She broke down crying, shouting for justice to be done. As she slumped onto the floor in tears, she felt over looked. She felt she deserved what was not given to her.

As I watched this, I tried not to laugh. But, then started thinking about all the times I have done the same thing. Sure, we might not throw a tantrum like a child. However, we definitely question God about the things we have or don’t have in life. At the bottom of it all, it usually comes down to a little thing called envy.

Webster’s dictionary defines envy as, “A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.”

King Solomon writes in Proverbs 24:1-2, “Don’t envy evil men or desire to be with them for their hearts plan violence, and their words stir up trouble.” Later, Solomon reassures us in verse 19-20, “Don’t worry because of evildoers and don’t envy the wicked. For the evil have no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”

God is serious when He says to let go of envy, and trust His plan for our lives. Trusting that God is good and walking with His wisdom will bring us more joy than we could ever imagine. But, before that can happen, we need to start trusting Him.

Kids are not good at hiding things. It is easy to see their motivations and disappointments. As we get older, we become professionals at disguising our motivations and disappointments. As we try to follow Christ, we quickly realize that it isn’t always easy to do the right thing. We watch others around us take shortcuts, cheat, or manipulate to get ahead, and sometimes it works for them! If we were honest, we sometimes envy those getting ahead, those that seem to live for themselves, and those that seem to do whatever they want. It is in those times that we need to make a decision. Do we throw a tantrum, try to get even, try to get what we feel we deserve? Or, do we lean into God and trust His wisdom?

God pleads with each of us today in verses 13-14, “Eat honey, my son, for it is good and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate; realize that wisdom is the same for you. If you find it, you will have a future, and your hope will never fade.” Trust God today! As you start to apply His wisdom, you will realize that it tastes sweet. You will want more and more of it. Today, make it your prayer to trust God’s hand in your life. God promises a future for you!

May you always be filled with hope, trusting in the mighty strength and goodness of God!

BZ