When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm forever.
Summary: There is an old Chinese curse that goes like this: “May you live in interesting times.” Today we live in such times. These are not times of peace and tranquility. Because of the times, our need to rely on our God is greater than ever.
In case you didn’t know, a storm is coming. “What storm?” you ask. It is a political storm coupled with an economic storm. It is not just any storm, either. It is a storm of such magnitude that a Category 5 hurricane will seem mild by comparison.
How do I know a storm is coming? The storm clouds have gathered. Every day, the news brings more stories of political and economic turmoil. A growing number of people have presumed to take the reins of power in the world. Now, thinking that their power is absolute, they want the rest of us to acknowledge their power in every way as if they were royalty and you and I were peasants.
But we are not peasants. We are citizens of a republic bound together by a constitution that rests on a document called the “Declaration of Independence.” This declaration, in turn, rests on this premise:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
When one group of people attempts to deny these truths and usurp the unalienable rights of others, the result is conflict. Because this type of conflict is chaotic in nature and intentionally made confusing by some, it is helpful to think of it as a storm.
Storms are frightening because of their power and unpredictability. Things happen so fast that we cannot see them coming. The effect can be terrifying. So what can we do?
Solomon gives us two pieces of advice in this verse: Be righteous and stand firm. God’s word tells us a great deal about what it means to be righteous. At its core, righteousness is about believing in God and trusting him (Genesis 15:6). The righteous know that they have a lot to learn and they work at acquiring knowledge (Proverbs 9:9). Because they know God’s Word and trust in God, the righteous know that the Lord provides for them (Proverbs 10:3).
Because of these things, and because of their faith, the righteous stand firm. We do not waver in our faith in God. Like Job, who lost everything he had in a storm of incredible proportions, we declare:
I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19: 25-27)
Do not fear the storm. Instead, fear the fate that catches up to the wicked. They are the ones who will see the wrath and judgment of God. For our part, prepare as best we can. Trust in God. Continue to serve even as the world around us seems to be falling apart. Love God above all else and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22: 37-40). This will be an opportunity of epic proportions for us to live our faith as we have never lived it before. And in the end, when the storm has swept by, to rejoice because we stood firm.
Application: Use this opportunity to clean out the attic of your beliefs. Toss out the worldly and dust off our true faith in Jesus Christ.
Food for Thought: What kind of storm sweeps the wicked away but not the righteous? Why?
This is one of the best reminders I have read for long time! I’m passing it on to our life group. There is real truth in this message, worth meditating on it! Thanks Jeff, for this great reminder in these dangerous (stormy) times for our country and children! 🙏🇺🇸
Thanks, Jim!
Sharing the blog with others is always appreciated. I’m glad you found some meat to chew on here.
What kind of storm sweeps the wicked away but not the righteous? Why?
The thing about the storm is that it is impartial; it will sweep away anyone and everyone who is not grounded on the Rock. It will sweep away the foolish (those who do not recognize and serve God), but the righteous will be spared, not of their own accord, but because they have laid their foundation and trust upon the One that is greater than any storm.
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
Psalm 18:1 “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
The storm cannot defeat the righteous because the coming and passing of the world does not permanently affect the righteous.
We have hope! Eternal hope. We know our Father has promised us ultimate deliverance and this life is meant to prepare us for eternity.
1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
2 Corinthians 4:17 “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”
Chris,
Great verses! I especially like the last one – we are being prepared for eternal glory. Such times as these help us refocus on what is important.
My thoughts went to Mathew 7: 24 – 27, a passage Chris hit on too. A storm is always coming. We prepare by building our house on the firm bedrock of Christ. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46: 1 – 3). He is a refuge and He cares for those who trust in Him (Nahum 1: 7).
Rich,
When I think of your faith and the Matthew passage your reference I want to say, “You rock!!” 🙂
The Nahum passage is important, too. He reminds us that God knows. God knows who are his and he cares for them. The challenge for us that I see is keeping our eyes on God and listening to him instead of listening to our fears.
I appreciate the post and comments. The assurance and security of the believer is a wonderful thing through all turmoil.
Thank you, JEC.
Absolutely! I have no idea how those who do not know the Lord make it through the day. We have incredible opportunities ahead to share the truth of God’s Word with others.
05-05-2022, Proverbs 10:25, What kind of storm sweeps the wicked away but not the righteous? Why?
The wicked have chosen to reject The conviction of the Holy Spirit, John 16:8-11 and will receive their choice of eternal separation from our Holy God.
We are in a real storm right now, and Noah comes to my mind. While the entire world was in chaos, total depravity, he and His family focused on living in obedience to God. For maybe 80 years they built the ark to survive a great flood on a world where it had never rained yet God provided for their protection. Peter comes to mind as He walked on water as long as He kept his eyes on the Lord.
Genesis 6:9-8:20, Matthew 8:26,
As believers have Christ in our hearts, God’s word as our guide and the Holy Spirit to give us direction. The believers in my family are actually prospering during this storm as we are all growing closer to the Lord. We are not part of this world system so we do not waste time talking about the insanity surrounding us. We make great use of our physical isolation and have made it spiritual isolation as well. We have our church family, bible studies and spend our time becoming closer to the Lord and do our best to be an example to those around us.
God knows our names, knows all we do, is our refuge, and has put a hedge around His faithful. We believe we are to use this time to help all those who are brought to us by the Lord to be ministered to by Christ in us. As you say Jeff, things will change and there will be many people coming out of insanity, needing to hear about Christ in us.
John 10:14-15, Psalm 46:1-3, Job 1:10, Proverbs 10:30
Ron,
Thanks you for sharing your thoughts today. I like the example of Noah. The storm he faced was greater than any storm that has followed. God was faithful during his entire voyage and he will be faithful during our storm as well.