“Be patient! God’s not finished with me yet!” Many of us use those words as an excuse every time we make a mess of things. While I’m not sure it ever worked for that reason, it was comforting until reality set in. There are days when God seems to be shaking us by the nape of our necks to get our attention. There are other days when His grace grants one blessing after another. It cannot be denied, however, that we are all a “work in progress” as long as we are alive. The question we must ask ourselves is: What is progress, and how will we know when God is finished with us?
If the “godly look forward to a reward,” what happens when we falter, fail or fall? Are we doomed? Is godliness or righteousness ever attainable in this life? Or, is it something we are to struggle with and strive for as long as we live?
In this instance, “look forward” is the outcome of those who have “righteousness” or “godliness” as a goal. It is what God’s children focus their heads, hearts and hands on. It is not something that “happens” as a byproduct of life. Righteous living is a core value at the center of all that believers do. Unrighteousness, which is the opposite, must be avoided at all costs!
“The wicked can expect only God’s wrath.” Now, that should get everyone’s attention. Wrath, God’s wrath, is His overflowing anger against the unrighteous. God’s wrath can be compared to a fire that is slowly growing, and, at the moment in time, will be all consuming.
This verse should remind us that the unrighteous face God’s impending judgment and eventual wrath. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time to repent!
Prayer: May we understand, Father, that our desires determine our destiny. May righteousness rule in our hearts, be the center of our heart, and the work of our hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: Proverbs 11:23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
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