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The Righteous and the Wicked

         The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:3)

            “If I keep going at this speed, it will take us years to get through Proverbs,” says half of my mind. 
         “So?” says the other
         “Solomon needs to talk to Job,” says half my mind. Job knew that the good go hungry and the wicked get rich. But what if that’s not what Solomon was talking about? What did Jesus say? “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) So, is Solomon foolish, or are we?
        Once again, it’s a matter of perspective. The righteous are righteous because they seek righteousness. They hunger and thirst for it and they are given righteousness. They could starve to death but have all they need of righteousness. They get what they crave.
        On the other hand, we have the wicked, and yes, they may become rich and powerful, so how can we say that God thwarts their craving? What at the most basic level makes a person wicked? According to Genesis 3, isn’t it the desire to be “like God?” God doesn’t even have to thwart us in that. It’s simply impossible. Sometimes, I think God shows mercy on us by thwarting our schemes to be like Him before they do us, or those around us, as much damage as they could.

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