23/02/2012 - THE REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS

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For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Psalms 37:17

Many people who deem themselves better than others (in some cases, it appears they are) are being fooled by the evil one in the following manner: they rely on their own abilities and as a result they do not see any need to trust the Lord. However, what they do not know is that God\’s gifts would operate better if they respected the Word of God and trusted in it. Without it, they miss out a lot in this life and in the hereafter, where the loss will be complete. After all, the choices we make here can cause us to be separated from God forever, suffering in hell.

Those who think they are smarter than everyone else – even than the Creator – are undoubtedly the most deluded. Whatever the most intelligent human being could achieve alone would be far greater and more rewarding if it had been achieved through divine wisdom. There are some who surrender to God a little, but that does not bring much benefit because the Lord can only be found by those who search for Him with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

When someone thinks he or she is superior it is, in some cases, the result of demonic possession, so everyone who relies solely on the knowledge they think they have should look for a man of God, tell him what is going on and ask for prayer. Having an evil spirit within oneself puts an individual in a dangerous situation because a demon never enters a heart by accident; he is sent by Satan to steal and kill and destroy lives (John 10:10a). Therefore, those who are possessed had better get rid of the evil one as soon as possible.

This sin is known as wickedness and it can be harbored either in the heart of the wicked or in the heart of some people who profess to be servants of God. He who is dominated by that sin is in constant rebellion against the Lord. And as deep calls unto deep (Psalm 42:7a), the wicked becomes a hazardous agent from hell. As a result, it takes a simple command from the one who is the head of all evil for the wicked to commit any sin, even crimes.

However, the righteous rely on what the Almighty has promised and even if they believe they are in a better position than most people, they prefer to trust in God. They have an ability that others do not have because prudence is always with them. So at the slightest sign of temptation they raise their voice and ask for help from on High; therefore they do not lose their peace and do not yield to temptations (James 4:7).

The righteous are sustained by the Lord and things will always go well in their life. They are faithful, never give in to discouragement and, at all times, remain as servants of God. For them, there is no such thing as adverse circumstances without solution. They never turn back in battles because they trust that the Lord is ahead of them. Cower is a verb that does not exist in their dictionary. Moreover, they are always loyal and true friends. This is the type of people the world and the Kingdom of God need.

In Christ with love, 

R. R. Soares