Scripture I'm Reflecting on: Psalm 10:4-5
"The wicked are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.
Yet they succeed in everything they do."
Reflection:
I could have chosen any of the verses from Psalm 10 for this reflection, as I find this Psalm very refreshing; while also having a good message. I find myself liking this Psalm because it is a list of thoughts that I can really relate too. While the "wicked" this author (likely David) faced was certainly at a level higher than I have ever experienced or imagined, I do find myself having similar thoughts from time to time when I see certain things happening around me.
I'm sure most of us have had at least a quick thought like the ones in this verse (and entire Psalm) when we see someone "wicked" succeed. Greed, selfishness, and a cut-throat attitude seem to be the way to the top in modern times, and you don't need to look far to find a person of no faith succeeding in big ways. Many of the wealthiest people in the country have probably never even given God so much as a thank you for their fortunes. Many of the people who have been blessed with gifts of great intelligence, athletic ability, or impeccable health never give a thought to be grateful for the blessings they were given. A natural response, at least for me, is to wonder why these people are being rewarded? Why is God allowing this to happen?
But these thoughts, after a little bit of reflection, are really just silly....and worrying about other people's success is just a waste of energy. Why stress over why someone is wealthy, or why someone has a natural ability you do not have? All of this is temporary. Wealth lasts for a brief time. Our physical or mental gifts will fade away some day. Worrying about why someone has something we selfishly want is not only a waste of time, but also can have a tendency to pull us away from God. The Bible promises that the wicked will be punished in due time. That should be all the comfort we need to focus on our own faith, and live our lives in God's glory, regardless of the "material rewards" we are receiving. We can all think of times in our lives when God has taken care of us, and to think that he has stopped or forgotten us because we see god-less people around us succeeding is exactly the mindset Satan loves to see.
Final Thought:
There's too many things in our lives to be thankful about to worry and wonder whether other people's success is justified. Everyone has different beliefs on how much God inserts himself in our daily lives. I tend to think God has a plan for us, and gives us the resources and guidance to carry out that plan, without actually carrying it out for us. It's hard to say what influence God has over someones successes, say someone who has obtained great wealth, who does not acknowledge God. Maybe God still guides them to this wealth for a reason. Maybe it just happens. But we do know that God doesn't make any promises of riches and rewards for Christians, and the opposite for non-believers. If that were the case, everyone would "believe." Everyone would have "faith", but this faith for many would be in the rewards, and not God's Word.
The real reward, the only one that matters, doesn't come in the form of temporary wealth or fame. As long as we remember that, then we will realize there's no reason to worry about the successes we see those without faith obtaining. We can obtain a peace and happiness through faith that the richest, wealthiest, most athletic person on earth could never dream of without God. We are after an infinetly greater reward. And we will receive it as long as we stay true to God's Word and message.
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