Day 4: The Envious

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be
thou ENVIOUS against the workers of iniquity.” Psalm 37:1

Boy, are we going to have fun today! Are you ready? Are you jumping up and down with glee? Well, maybe not. Be that as it may, let us begin by looking at the definition of envy. Envy means a feeling of discontent or resentment towards someone else’s possessions, qualities or even their apparent fortune.

Envy is both a noun and a verb. As a noun, envy is a person, a place, or a thing. Envy is quite literally a real thing. It is the real deal, my friend! It is not something that we can just sweep under the rug for our convenience or for “out of sight, out of mind.” No. It is real. Not only is it real, but it is alive and very active in your life and my life today. How do I know? Because, remember I said that it is also a verb … an action verb no less … one that is acting and active (alive and well).

Now, there are a lot of things to be envious of … your friend’s new car, her bi-weekly manicure and pedicure, her bi-monthly hair style and color or highlight, her abundant checking and savings account, her perfect, well-mannered children, and the list is so very endless, is it not?

So, if there are all of these things and more, why did David not address them in this verse? Why choose being “envious against the workers of iniquity?” Well, maybe there is more here than meets the eye.

Look at Psalm 73:3 “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Envious of the foolish [lacking good sense; unwise]? Who? Moi?! Are you speaking to me, David?  Apparently so. Why would I be envious of someone who is unwise? Because my eyes have gotten off of God and have taken on the form of flesh. Why else would we be envious of someone who is foolish?

The same thing happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden, did it not? They got their eyes off of God and before you know it, they are envious of a tree!? Where did that one sin lead them, it took them to partaking of the fruit, it took them to blaming others for their sin, it took them to following the devil, it took them away from their fellowship with God, it took them farther into sin (to where they tried to hide it and cover it), and it took them to the place of chastisement from a righteous and holy God.

Let us not excuse ourselves too quickly here. I realize that the word envy is not a common word used today. I mean, who of us say, “I envy that person”? No one that I know. Do you know of anyone? No? I do know people who say that they are jealous of someone else though. Jealous is an adverb that describes envy … they are basically one and the same. They are a pair. They come together.

Solomon shared his wisdom on this topic … “Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.” Proverbs 23:17 Let us heed this wise advice today!

Portraits of Grace – Hannah Owens

“It is of the LORD’s Mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every MORNING; great is thy faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

I’ve always loved this part of scripture and the verses leading up to it as well. As someone who was saved at the young age of seven and have come from a Christian family, my dad being a pastor then missionary in Mexico City, it’s so important to remember that it’s only by HIS grace that we are serving where we are, have the family that we have and are able to enjoy His faithful to us.

My husband, David and I are serving in Argentina with our beautiful little girls. ( Ingrid Giselle & Zoey Lucina) We have almost been here two years (that went by fast) and, by the Lord’s grace, have started New Hope Baptist Church a little over six months ago. As Ingrid says (she’s three), “the baby church” and it’s true, we have a church of brand new Christians and it’s such a joy to watch them grow in Christ.

Though we have not been on the field for that long we have had many trials. I’ve experienced a twin pregnancy that became quite uncomfortable toward the end (having no A/C and reaching 106) to a dramatic birth experience on the field. I felt as if I had been stretched and tested in ways I did not think were possible, but God was not done. A month later the Lord took our little perfect Dominic home to be with Him. The hardest day of our lives.

One month later David’s Mom was diagnosed with cancer and passed away two months later. I can honestly say we felt like Paul when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.“

It’s a very dark time while in the middle of a trial but clinging to the hope that “His mercies are new every morning” and that it is truly “only His GRACE that is keeping us” helps to ease some of the pain.

Maybe you are going through a time of grief, sadness loneliness or maybe you’ve just had a rough day parenting. The Lord gives us a beautiful promise in Psalms 30:5b “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” That night might be a literal rough night of motherhood or it might be a tough season we will have to go through, but we know that this is true, He will bring JOY. The Lord, through it all, will show Himself strong through blessing and trials. Our simple prayer should be to continue to be faithful.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14