It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. (5-7)
“Bad things happen to good people.” This is a well-known fact, yet it is one that we often forget. It is amazing how often we get surprised by our circumstances and ask, “How could something like this happen?” Spiritual maturity doesn’t mean that bad things will stop happening in your life. Spiritual maturity means that when they occur, you can take them in stride. The Psalmist makes it clear that the righteous person will often get bad news just like the unrighteous, but the righteous is unafraid. His or her heart will stand firm, trusting the Lord. The key is not to look over your shoulder all the time, expecting bad things to happen, so that you are not surprised. The key is to ensure that your heart is always “firm” and “trusting in the Lord,” come what may.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”—that’s another pithy phrase with a deep truth. Instead of constantly reacting to unfortunate surprises and bouts of bad news, the righteous can respond in faith because they daily walk by faith, not by sight. This is the most anxious generation in history. The answer is not to try to control your circumstances. Our desire for control and our lack of control are what breed the anxiety we battle. Instead of being tossed about by the winds of circumstance or living on the up and down rollercoaster of daily life, the mature believer is steady no matter what may come because they are in step with the Spirit. Their life is marked by resilience, and they live with quiet confidence in the Lord that it’s all under His control and He is good.
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