Have you ever felt on the bottom of the
pile? I know I have! Growing up I was always the skinniest kid around, at least
that is the way I felt. Maybe my three older brothers were stealing all my
food! But I felt like I was the weakest, most uncoordinated kid in my class.
This was confirmed in my mind when I would consistently be picked last for
those team games in PE class. I would be standing there by myself in the pool
of prospective team members, everyone else having been picked already.
Reluctantly, the last name called would be me.
We as human beings want to be connected,
part of something bigger. And that quest to be connected, accepted sometimes
leads us to make bad choices in friends. Sometimes we want what someone else
has even when they used evil means to obtain it. We need to not envy those
gains (v31). Violent people often use their power to get what they want.
Notice the contrasts in verses 32-35. It
shows the actions of the LORD toward the wicked and the righteous. Confidence,
blessing, favor and honor will come to those who are upright, righteous, humble
and wise. By contrast the LORD detests, curses, mocks and gives shame to those
who are perverse, wicked, proud and foolish.
We get to choose which group we want to be
in. We get to choose our team. I wish I had been able to do that in elementary
school. Looking back, it was probably my inability to stay focused on any task
that prevented me from being any good at sports. And my classmates probably
didn’t want a distracted player. They wanted to win! I just wanted to have fun
and fun often included rapid shifts in focus away from the group activity.
I don’t engage in team activities to this
day. I am still not coordinated in sports, having given up on them for other
pursuits where I had a chance to excel. I choose to pay attention to those
things that the LORD pays attention to. I have noticed some of these rewards in
my life. I do have more confidence, blessing, favor and honor. I think I will
continue to choose His ways.