For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. (Ps. 37:9)

“are YOU STILL HURT that they left you out?” Sandy asked her husband, Ron. Twelve years earlier, three of Ron’s friends worked together to start a small cleaning business and ignored Ron’s interest to work with them. However, Ron knew at the time that his friends didn’t share his Christian commitment and likely would run their operations contrary to God’s commands. Then one day a former employee testified that the three men had spent years cheating on their taxes, billing for services not rendered, and mistreating their workers. Now their reputation was publicly ruined. Ron handed the newspaper with the report to Sandy and said, “I was sad at the time that they left me out. But the Lord has given me so much more—and without the trouble.”

Satan tempts us to work outside God’s plan in our attempts at success. For a time, this may bring wealth or power; but God sees everything we do (and the reasons we do it!). God may or may not expose a person’s sin while he or she lives; either way, the individual will face God’s judgment after death. By contrast, every man or woman who rejects a sinful lifestyle, and places his or her faith in God’s work through Christ can trust God to bring the kind of success He chooses. Don’t despair that people have left you out. You’re in God’s family now.

Thank God in advance for tomorrow’s blessings—and wait in expectation!

Paul Zinter has served as a pastor and editor. He enjoys writing, bread making, and teaching at his local church.