Proverbs 10: 28-30
A question that I’m asked frequently is this, “How do I know its God testing me versus the devil tempting me?” My answer usually goes something like this, “Normally, when it’s God he will give you pain first and pleasure later. If it’s the devil, he usually gives you pleasure first and then pain later. God is not interested in making you comfortable, he’s interested in conforming you to the image of his son Jesus Christ. On the other hand Satan will tempt you with your greatest desires and entice you to gain it by any means necessary.
28 The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
At times it seems that living godly is not worth it. It is difficult to understand why good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. Oftentimes it is easy to compare your situation to someone else’s situation in a moment of time. You look at where they are and where you are and we have a propensity to judge our end based on current circumstance. This verse admonishes us not to lose our hope for in the end it will not be dashed, but will be fulfilled in happiness, whereas the plans of the wicked will fail.
29 The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked.
Everyone who sees and knows the way of the Lord does not prosper. For an honest person who desires to please God and make God smile, God’s ways are not a chore and they are not grievous. They are life to him and he delights in the way of the Lord. The way of the Lord has an opposite, antithetical effect on the wicked and causes destruction rather than blessing. How? God’s ways are not a desire of his heart and because of that what should be life becomes a tedious internal struggle that can destroy him.
30 The godly will never be disturbed, but the wicked will be removed from the land.
There’s something to be said for longevity. Longevity proves stability and that anchor has been set that cannot be moved. Godly people are those whose roots have been planted by rivers of waters. (Psalm 1) Wicked people and their schemes, plans, and strategies may look prosperous today, but are soon gone tomorrow.