Proverbs 12:21
Some people get the impression that if you
become a Jesus-follower, all you troubles will drift away. They get this
impression because they are selective about the verses they read. They grab
verses like this and ignore anything that would complement and complete their
theology.
What they forget is that proverbs primarily
teach one principle at a time. They are not full explanations of a doctrine in
two lines. But when you want a shallow theology, one that makes you comfortable
and one that means you don’t have to change, then slice away!
But our relationship with the LORD is deeper
than two lines.
So what is the principle this proverb is
trying to teach? The clue is found in the word harm in the first line. Think
about it. What harm can come to someone whose eternity is sealed? What can be
taken from us? Everything of this life we recognize as perishable, temporary,
rubbish. The best here is nothing compared to the least in heaven, the place
where the streets are lined with what the Apostle John described as the most
expensive, most beautiful metal he could think of at the time.
So what harm can befall us? None! But the
wicked have many things that can happen in this life that can take away the
current happiness, which is all they have. I think of the wicked like the
Peanuts character Pigpen. They always have a cloud of things about ready to get
them. It is just a matter of time until it catches up with them. Even those who
seem to “get away with it” in this life, really don’t.
It is not that the righteous live in a
fantasy world, ignoring the troubles that come their way, buoyed by the opiate
of our faith. On the contrary, we can embrace the difficulties because we know
two things: they are temporary and they are an opportunity to experience the
sustaining power of God.
Don’t settle for a partial understanding of
God’s grace.