The Revenue of the Wicked

greed-moneyYesterday I was part of an email conversation that was discussing the coming collapse or correction to the market and how to prepare for it. The conversation brought me back to a verse I read last Saturday that just rose up from the page and I know the Lord wanted me to write about it. King Solomon wisely wrote:

    “In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.” (Proverbs 15:6)

We have a wicked government in that it continually passes laws and implements policies that our contrary to God’s laws. The list is too long and detailed to list all the violations, however when taxpayers are being forced to pay for baby-killing, subsidize law-breakers, drug addicts and alcoholics, and fornicators, then we should expect nothing but financial trouble as a nation.

    “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

Our nation has become one of “I want it now and I deserve it now.” I’ve been guilty of this; like many others I’ve piled up consumer debt not willing to wait and pay cash for things like our grandparents did. My mother’s parents were immigrants and my grandfather always paid in cash. He worked hard, thanked God for all he had, and left his family a decent inheritance. Today, we are replacing our children and grandchildren’s inheritance with unsustainable debt that no expert can actually predict what the future holds. The Bible clearly taught my grandfather’s approach to life:

    “A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.” (Psalm 37:16)

If we want our government to practice fiscal responsibility and govern righteously, then we are going to have to conduct our own lives in such a way. We must align our lives to God’s principles so we do not look to government to provide what God already has in His word. Then we will have the limited government that our Founders fashioned through our Constitution.

However, we are reaping a harvest that our sins have sowed and we don’t much care for the bounty.

    “They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; it shall never produce meal. If it should produce, aliens would swallow it up.” (Hosea 8:7)

Reading that last verse you would think the Prophet Hosea was commenting on America. Hosea was commenting on the apostasy of Israel over 2900 years ago. So what does that mean for us today? It means God’s laws are timeless and His Word is always relevant.

It can be hard to live a righteous life. it is tempting to take the wide path that leads to destruction, but never forget the Lord sees your tears and toils and will richly bless His people and their land.

    “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6)

This past weekend during our Family Life Conference, our pastor Brother Dennis reminded us of two rules that come from Galatians 6:7. Rule #1 is “You reap what you sow.” Rule #2 is “You can’t change Rule #1.” That’s an important lesson to learn for each of us. But I do not want us to learn the rules and not be encouraged by the provision God gives with His principles. Two verses later, the Apostle Paul left the Galatians with this encouraging verse and I will leave you with it too:

    “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (Galatians 6:9)

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2014 David Jeffers

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