Focus: Ecclesiastes 8:12 - KJV
12. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
1 Kings 16:29-33
The longsuffering nature of God is an attribute of love towards a sinner that he may find an occasion to repent and be redeemed from destruction which is the end of wickedness. When God shields the wicked from destruction, it is not because the Lord approves wickedness but because it is not His pleasure that the sinner should perish. Nonetheless, no matter how long a wicked being lives and the extent of his wicked acts, God ensures the wellness of those who fear Him even in the midst of the affliction of the wicked. King Ahab was a clear description of wickedness in that he did many terrible things against the Lord and against His people. Yet the Lord kept him on for twenty-two years over his choice nation. Nonetheless, God ensured that his main opposition in the prophets of the Most-High, Elijah and later Micaiah, could not be brought to hurt for they feared the Lord. Consider the wicked Saul of Tarsus. When he was doing his wicked enterprise, it appeared God had no way to curb him. But eventually, he saw the light and became a more potent instrument in the hands of the Lord for witnessing. The counsel of God today therefore is that we focus not on the extent of the wickedness of the wicked or his longevity but on putting our fear in the Lord so as not to fall prey of the wicked before he is converted. Naboth ended a victim. So was Stephen. They both could have been saved if things were done differently. Stephen died and one of his murderers got saved in the end.
Beloved, let us be wise in our dealings. Since it is not appointed unto us to judge the wicked, let us stop the condemnation and blame game. Wickedness or sin is committed against God and not man. Hence, it is not the business of man to judge the wicked. Rather, we are to ensure we are covered under the protective gear of the Lord by fearing Him. If we don’t, God forbid that we become victim of the wicked for if he repents thereafter, his salvation will erase his days of wickedness just like it was for Paul.
SOLUTION: No matter the wickedness of the wicked, make the Lord your shield always in all circumstances. Stop judging others for you may keep judging someone that had repented and found mercy with God. Focus on the fear of God in all you do. That dovetails into obeying God always. It is the secret of sustenance from wickedness.
Father, please don’t let me be a loser in the hands of the wicked in the name of Jesus Christ. As the heart of kings are in your hands, please melt the hearts of the wicked beings around us that we may not be victims of their wickedness in any way in Jesus’ name. Most importantly, please draw the wicked amongst men to repentance that peace may reign the more on the earth in the name of Jesus Christ.
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