Captain's Log - Here Comes The Storm

Proverbs 10:25 says, "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever."

One thing the wise and wicked have in common is the "storms" of life. Matthew 5:45 says that God "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." We all have our share of sunny days and storm filled days. Like a tree, we need both to grow and produce good fruit. We need days of joy and peace to grow in Christ. We need days of trial and sorrow to mature in Christ. God sends them both.

The righteous are firmly planted and able to stand the storms of life. Psalms 1:1-3 says, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."

During storms of life, we are firmly planted in Christ. During times of drought, we are planted near the River of Life. Our fruit comes in due season and our leaves do not wither. We are rooted in Christ and fed by the Living Water.

The consequences of being righteous or wicked are not the temporary blessings or the passing trials of this life. The difference is their ultimate destiny. In this life we will all know our share of sunshine and rain. We will all feel joy and taste the bitter pain of sorrow. We will all endure our storms, but only the righteous will survive the ultimate storm of Judgment.

The wicked may have some short-term successes. They may know blessings and prosperity for a short time, but this life is fleeting and the wealth of this world rots. Proverbs 10:2 says, "Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death." The righteous may be poor and know sorrow for a fleeting moment. However, their ultimate destiny is eternal life and joy.

When making an investment, it is wise to think long term. Many today invest their lives only thinking of the moment without considering the outcome of their way of life. The Bible has much to say about the ultimate destiny of the righteous and wicked. Proverbs 10:9 says, “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” You can't hide who you are. God knows and at the Judgment it will be declared. There is security for the man of integrity, but the man who is crooked in his speech and life will be found out. It will affect your eternal destiny.

Proverbs 10:11 says, "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked." What we say will have an effect on our eternal destiny. Your actions today determine your eternal destiny. Proverbs 10:21 says, "The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment." Jesus said in Matthew 12:36, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken”

We know that the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). Proverbs 10:16 says, "The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment." What will your paycheck be? Will your paycheck be life by the grace of Christ or punishment by faithless rejection of His Gospel?

What is the focus of your life? Are you planted by streams of life with roots deep in Christ Word? The storm is coming. Are you ready? Are you nourished by the wisdom of the Word? Are you easily uprooted and far from the waters of life found in the wisdom of the Word? Proverbs 10:29-30 says, "The way of the LORD is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. The righteous will never be uprooted, but the wicked will not remain in the land."

Right now God sends sunshine and rain to both the righteous and wicked. In the future, however, a storm is coming called Judgment day. It is like no storm you have ever seen. On that day, wisdom will pay off and folly will destroy you. Each of us will leave a legacy of righteousness or wickedness. We will reap life or destruction. Proverbs 10:7 says "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot."

You have an eternal destiny that awaits you. What it will be is your choice. You can choose righteousness or wickedness. You can choose repentance or rebellion. You can choose wisdom or foolishness. Proverbs 10:28 says, "The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing." What will your fate be? Proverbs 10:24 tells us, "What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted."

Stop looking at today alone. Stop thinking short-term. Look long-term. You may have blessings now. You may experience short-term problems, but those are but fleeting memories quickly left in the distant past. The real question is, are you righteous by the grace of Christ or will you be eternally damned by Christ for your stubborn refusal to turn from sin to his mercy and grace?

Proverbs chapter 10 warns us to be wise and think long-term, because the storm is coming and only the righteous will survive.