Day 15 - 90 Days in Proverbs - God Has Your Back

Proverbs 3:31-35 [NKJV] 31 Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways; 32 For the perverse [person is] an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel [is] with the upright. 33 The curse of the LORD [is] on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just. 34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. 35 The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

Who would envy an oppressor? I know that sometimes the “mean girls” from high school are envied because they are on the top of the food chain, so to speak. But do we as adults ever envy or look up to those who oppress others to get ahead?

This is a tricky question for us because so often in this world people who rise to the top have done so by oppressing others. Sometimes it is just being selfish or taking a “me first” attitude at the office. Other times it can be actively back-stabbing others, taking credit for work a person didn’t do (or didn’t do alone) or even implying weakness in others so you look strong.

We Christians would not want to imitate that behavior, of course. But we can envy the success that comes from it because we have seen that humble, kind and loving behavior is often not rewarded in this world. We may wonder, “Can a good person get ahead in this world?” It may be hard not to strike back when the oppressor is responsible for my not getting ahead.

We understand that in this life “survival of the fittest” has become “survival of the least moral.” We know that the meek will not inherit the earth until Jesus returns. It can be difficult to press on with meekness and kindness, knowing that sometimes you will get stomped on by others and passed over for success. That is just the way Satan’s world works.

However, we do not want to miss an important point of this segment of Proverbs. That point is that God “has your back.” We might not be rewarded by a boss who cannot see past the self-promoting oppressor. But God sees it and He will reward us.

God blesses the house of the just. He gives grace to the humble. He rewards the wise with glory. We need to remind ourselves of this, as David often did through his Psalms. Psalm 27 begins with these well-known lines: The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? And goes on to talk about how God intervenes to take care of His people.

We believers always have to focus on the ultimate goal – the Kingdom. We believers must always focus on the ultimate victory – the victory over sin in our own lives. We believers must always focus on the spiritual rewards – blessings and glory from God. We believers must always focus on the One who is fighting for us – the One who is always on our side.

God is looking out for you always. So there is no need to envy those who get ahead in this life by means of oppression. God is looking out for you always. So, there is no reason to give into the temptation to “just this once” try one of those oppressor type tactics to get ahead. That 25-year watch from the office is not worth it.

God has our back, sweet sister – even though it may not seem like it when you are passed up for a promotion in favor of someone whose tactics are not godly. This life is short compared to eternity. We are climbing a spiritual ladder to success that offers rewards that last forever.

This is the example that Jesus set for us. He was faced with great oppression. The leaders of His day got ahead by oppressing their own people. He stood meekly and quietly as He was falsely accused by those who wanted get or stay on top. [See Isaiah 53:7 and Matthew 27:11-14] He stayed true to the spiritual goals set for Him. By the power of the Holy Spirit we can stay true to those spiritual goals in the face of similar treatment.

Never forget that God’s got your back in every circumstance.

Prayer — Father God, in this life it often seems like the oppressor, the evil person, the person without scruples or morals is the one who gets ahead. But my goal, my focus is your Kingdom and building success that lasts all eternity. Help me to always focus on that and never be tempted to try out the ways of the oppressor. Thank you, Father, for always having my back, watching out for me and rewarding me for living the humble, wise and obedient life you have called me to live. Strengthen me in my walk, oh Lord, and guide me always. Help me to live the life that Jesus lived. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Your thoughts —  

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