When The Wicked Rule, Pray -Proverbs 28:28 - Growing With God

Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.

Proverbs 28:28 (NIV) When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

Proverbs 28:28 (MSG) When corruption takes over, good people go underground, but when the crooks are thrown out, it’s safe to come out. ******************************************************* “When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; but when the wicked perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become great.” -AMPLIFIED

“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.” ~George Washington

Once again we find Solomon’s focus on poor leadership; this is not the first time he has addressed this problem, nor will it be the last. Solomon teaches us:

“When the wicked have the upper hand, people go into hiding; but when they perish, the good folk will begin to increase.” -(VOICE)

There will always be the possibility of poor leaders. There are always going to be those who seek authority because they enjoy “lording it over” others, or telling people what to do, or just because they want power, and lots of it.

Solomon tells us that when the wicked come into power, when corruption moves into command, people go underground. In other words, they hide; for they know what atrocities are about to come to pass.

On the other hand, Solomon compares the wicked person’s leadership to the righteous, when the righteous rule, the people know it is okay to come back out.

“When the wicked prosper, good men go away; when the wicked meet disaster, good men return.” -(TLB)

We need to grasp two implied lessons here.

1.) The wicked may rule, but notice they will in time be destroyed, even perish. God will bring them to their end.

2.) Once the wicked has been brought down to disaster, the righteous will increase and become great again.

Always remember, no matter what is going on, or whoever is in leadership, God is, and will always be, in control. I remind you of the words of David:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life—Whom shall I dread? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fear; though war arise against me, even in this I am confident.” -Psalm 27:1-3(AMP)

I remind you of the fact that God is our Protector and always a Safe Haven for us. The Sons of Korah wrote these words:

“God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.” -Psalm 46:1-3 (MSG)

God will fight for us and protect us from the wicked. One day they will finally get what they deserve. God told Isaiah this:

“I will turn the world’s wrongdoings back on itself. I will punish those who act wickedly. I will stop the arrogant musings of the proud and pompous, and make them puny and weak.” -Isaiah 13:11 (VOICE)

When that happens there will be great joy among the righteous; Solomon tells us this:

“When prosperity comes to those who do right, the whole city celebrates; but when the wicked get their just punishment, there is joyous cheering.” -Proverbs 11:10 (VOICE)

So, what is our duty toward the government when we find that the wicked and ungodly are in charge? The Bible actually tells us a few things that God wants us to do:

1.) Show respect to those in authority over you: “Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God’s emissaries for keeping order. It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.” -1 Peter 2:13-17 (MSG)

2.) Submit to and obey the ruling government: “Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. For the policeman does not frighten people who are doing right; but those doing evil will always fear him. So if you don’t want to be afraid, keep the laws and you will get along well. The policeman is sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for he will have you punished. He is sent by God for that very purpose. 5 Obey the laws, then, for two reasons: first, to keep from being punished, and second, just because you know you should. Pay your taxes too, for these same two reasons. For government workers need to be paid so that they can keep on doing God’s work, serving you. Pay everyone whatever he ought to have: pay your taxes and import duties gladly, obey those over you, and give honor and respect to all those to whom it is due.” -Romans 13:1-7 (TLB)

3.) Pray for those in authority over you: “So, first and foremost, I urge God’s people to pray. They should make their requests, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all humanity. Teach them to pray for kings (or anyone in high places for that matter) so that we can lead quiet, peaceful lives—reverent, godly, and holy—all of which is good and acceptable before the eyes of God our Savior who desires for everyone to be saved and know the truth.” -1 Timothy 2:1-4 (VOICE)

Instead of complaining about how the leadership is handling things and expressing what you would do differently if you were in power, get down on your knees and pray for those whom God has placed in authority over you.

My friend, we may not always agree with who is in charge, we may even consider them to be wicked, but we have a responsibility to respect them, obey them and pray for them. Are you part of the solution or part of the problem? God will deal with wicked leadership in His time and in His way. In the meantime, be about the Father’s business.

“You can serve God acceptably under ungodly leadership. Like He did with Eli and his sons, God is going to deal with your leader and coworkers in one way or another. In the meantime, focus on your own faithfulness.” ~ Steven Furtick

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, Creator of all, God Most High, it is you who have placed the various leaders in their positions of leadership. It is you who have given them authority and power. If they abuse that authority and power remind me that you still are the Supreme Power; you are always in control. It is you who will humble them and discipline them. Remind me that it is my job to respect, obey and pray for them. I humbly ask that you will help me have the right attitude towards those who are in authority over me, even when I do not agree with what they are doing. Give the leadership your wisdom, Lord and help me keep my eyes firmly focused on you. Thank you.

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