Proverbs 12: 21
No harm befalls the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
How do you not look at that verse and immediately come up with a list of harmful things that have befallen you or people you know that are righteous? How do you not instantly think, “If that’s true, then why did my friend lose her job? Why did my Uncle, the pastor, cheat on his wife? Those are bad thing that happened to good people. Why?”
I think those are really fair questions and to be honest with you I asked some of my own when I read this. What I think though is that sometimes I forget that the Bible is God’s word. We might interpret it and analyze it and study it, but ultimately, it’s God’s word. And the truth of the matter is, that since it’s His word, He gets to define the words the way He wants. Maybe His definition of “harm” is very different from mine. Maybe to Him, harm means “eternal separation from God” and this verse is really about how there is nothing that can separate us from God. Maybe that’s the only form of “harm” that really matters. Maybe this verse is like Romans 8:38-39:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Maybe the promise isn’t that we won’t die early or be hurt often or bruised many times on this earth, but that no true harm, separation from Him, will ever befall us.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
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7 comments:
I like this....
That last parting shot is what will stick with me.
"Maybe the promise isn’t that we won’t die early or be hurt often or bruised many times on this earth, but that no true harm, separation from Him, will ever befall us."
I've found a new Facebook "religious views" statement. Somehow "Christian- Methodist" just never has cut it for me, but this gets closer.
Jon,
This is a wonderful perspective for that question you always get when "good" people have "bad" things happen.....gonna remember it!!
I like your perspective Jon. I'm sure yours is more in line than mine but I'll share anyway. Aren't we all wicked? Our righteousness is only through Jesus. I don't think any of us are walking directly in His footsteps at all times. When we follow the call of the flesh or this world we become wicked. Those are the times I seem to experience the most trouble. BTW, I love what you're doing. Your blog is the first place I go when I sit in front of my computer. Thanks.
Jon,
This blog (and SCL) has become a part of my daily routine. I wake up and there's always something new and on-target to remind me of God's love.
@Rooted: I think you're right--and what's more, so what if we were "walking directly in His footsteps"? Jesus was the ultimate in "good people," and He got crucified just the same. Should we expect any less?
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