I was reading in Psalms the other day, and this passage struck a chord; "For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there ware no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth." Psalm 73 3-9. Sound familiar? Just look around - our politicians seek to oppress our liberties and continually prosper at our expense. Our celebrities are proud and their eyes bulge with an abundance gained from us, yet they scoff at our values and reject our principals. In our upside-down society, rather than elevating what is good and what is just, the most depraved among us occupy the seats of kings.
As I was talking about the truth of what I see around me, my dad made a comment - "Satan likes to reward his followers". A simple enough statement, to be sure, but it really made me think. In John 12:31, Satan is referred to as "the prince of this world". And, of course, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, who was doing the tempting? Satan. And what did he have the power to do? Offer Him power, money, position! He was offering to Jesus exactly the same things that he has offered to all of our politicians, celebrities, athletes and influencers - but they've accepted.
The more I thought about these things, the more I realized that what you see truly isn't what you get. On the outside, it seems that the wicked and ruthless and immoral of our society thrive and prosper - but Satan has deceived them with the greatest of lies. They are dead. All of their power, their money, their fame and their success will follow them to the grave and their rewards will turn to dust. Their eternity will be one of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Do not lose heart! Do not let the appearance of the world blind you to the truth of God. Our eternity is sure - an eternity where there will be no tears, no hunger, no pain. Our eternity is beyond comprehension. Know that the wicked, the boastful, the proud have only today - and today is nothing compared with eternity!
What you see isn't what you get......
