Proverbs 14:19, Sunshine for Every Cloudy Morning!

August 19, Proverbs 14:19

Phil. 2:1-13 “To him that o’er cometh God giveth a crown”.

Sunshine for Every Cloudy Morning!

Again, in spite of appearances, is it not true that the wicked cannot live without the good? Jesus said of His own: Ye are the salt of the earth. It is frightful to think of a world with only evil. It is the presence of God’s elect that stays His hand from destroying this world as He did the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomarrah. Old Rowland Hill must have been thinking of this when he said: “We can do more good by being good than in any other way.” God has promised to keep His people, and will He not keep His promises?

3. The Way It Will Be: The Hebrew verb, when used as it is here, sometimes hints at what is known grammatically as, the prophetic perfect. It is used in prophetic oracles to express the certainty of something. It is already present, accomplished, to the eye of faith. Commentators have suggested that there is a reference to future things, to end times, implicit in this verse, to what we call eschatology. This is not often the case in Proverbs, but it seems evident here. Certain it is that the Bible does promise a Day of Vindication of God’s government of the world. We glimpse this in Jesus’ account of the Rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. “God fills the empty, and empties the full” (Lk. 1:53).

a. Conscience demands it: “If there were no God, consciences were useless” (Calvin). Even the conscience of a sinner feels the need of such a final vindication of right. In times of trouble, do not the wicked often turn to the godly for help? Suddenly we hear the “otherwise godless” begging for prayer, or that they are praying! Truly, as the proverb states: “They will bow at the gates of the righteous.” They will cry: “Give us of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.” Isaac Watts would teach us to sing, “Let sin have no dominion Lord, but keep my conscience clear.” The mighty Napoleon is reputed to have admitted, “My dominion ends where that of conscience begins.”

b. Justice requires it: Did not Abraham boldly declare: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right (Gen. 18:25)? He then launched into the first recorded intercessory prayer in the Bible for the souls of sinners. How repeatedly Scripture warns us not to judge by appearances, for we will too often misjudge! The worldling may sneer at the thought of divine retribution, but not when some disaster hits! Suddenly they are reminded of the judgment spoken of in Scripture? There will be no escaping the Day of God’s Vengeance (Lu. 23:30 ff.). Matthew Henry put this thought in these solemn words, “Those who will not deliver themselves into the hand of God’s mercy cannot be delivered out of the hand of His justice.” “Submission to God is the only true balm that can heal the wounds he gives” (N. Emmons). O that we would bow before the Lord our Maker while it is called Today! If you, dear reader, have not yet trusted yourself savingly to the mercy of God, call upon Him today. Do it Now, for Now is the only sure day of Salvation!

Thought: “God conceals His purposes that we may live on His promises.”

Prayer: Break any remaining doubt of Thy goodness from my heart, O Lord.