Refuge Versus Ruin

Proverbs 10:29-30:  "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."

One thing that is a certain truth is that God's way (i.e. His sovereign, supreme will) will prevail.  And all of us would be wise to see that the blessedness of life, both now and in eternity, will be impacted by the way we respond to this truth.  Those who would yield themselves to the way of the Lord will find refuge.  It is a wonderful sanctuary, for those who are obedient to the King of Glory are assured of His favor, His blessing, and His abiding presence.  These righteous ones will never be shaken or uprooted from His protective hand; and for this reason, they will stand secure in His power for all eternity (see Romans 8:38-39, Proverbs 10:25b).

Conversely, those who obstinately defy the will of the Lord will only find ruin.  As the storm surge of God's wrath is poured out in its fullest measure, the wicked will be swept away (see Proverbs 10:25a).  They never will experience the joy of His favor and His blessing; rather, God Himself will be their worst dread, as He judges them for their abject rebellion against His rightful reign . . . and that dread will overtake them (Proverbs 10:24).  And whereas the righteous will inhabit the very eternal Promised Land that is granted to those who would receive God's amazing grace, the wicked will not be permitted to abide there.  They will be uprooted and thrown into the place where the fullness of God's judgment will be poured out upon them. 

C.S. Lewis in his work, The Weight of Glory, has penned a provocative reflection on this very reality:

"In the end, that Face which is the delight or the terror of the universe must be turned upon each of us either with one expression or the other, either conferring glory inexpressible or inflicting shame that can never be cured or disguised."

So, if we have yielded ourselves to His Lordship and received His gift of pardon through Jesus Christ, let us respond with awe and gratitude that we have received the fullness of His love and the declaration of adoption as His children (I John 3:1).  And in response to this awesome reality, let us do as Proverbs 16:3 tells us . . .  let us "commit to the LORD (in) whatever (we) do."  The word "commit" can be translated "roll," and to roll, we must first be low and we must be moving.  Let us fall before the LORD in humility and surrender.  Let us not think ourselves too highly or attempt to assert our own wills above His own.  And let us move ever closer to Him in a spirit of contrition and obedience, knowing that this is how we demonstrate our love for Him (John 14:23).