The joy of living the good life

“The prospect of the righteous is joy; but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing” (Proverbs 10:28).
 
 Before we turn to the joy associated with righteousness and the disappointment thatlies ahead for the wicked it will be helpful to identify the terms we are using. The proverb compares two kinds of people, the righteous and the wicked. In commenting on other proverbs I have defined the righteous as those who consistently do the right thing. They are not a small group of super-saints that have achieved a level of moral perfection so lofty that we have to declare them righteousness (sinless). Over against that unreal expectation, the righteous are those who consistently do the right thing. In the other category are the wicked, those who consistently choose the more nefarious and shocking alternatives. They could be those who live a corrupt and scandalous  life, or the more genteel who display the polite forms of wickedness such as greed, envy, and ill-will. In either case the future is not bright. While the categories are clear-cut there are degrees of righteousness as well as degrees of sinfulness.
         Solomon turns first to those who have decided to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. They are committed to making right choices. Every ethical decision is a chance to say by what you do that God’s way is best. Not only at the end of one’s life journey but all along the way the result of that mind-set is sheer unadulterated joy. One dictionary defines joy as “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.” That comes close, but even then when we try to define it, it seems to diminish the true experience. I find that joy sneaks up undetected. It can’t be scheduled it can only be experienced when it happens. The joy of the Lord is pure, uplifting, and deeply satisfying. It is the atmosphere of heaven. We’ll be breathing it forever. But there is joy along the way as well for every believer.
     As for the wicked, the future holds no rewards. Solomon says that the expectations (the hopes) of the wicked “come to nothing.” They don’t pan out. This, of course, is for them a great disappointment. While the righteous are blessed with a joyful fulfillment of their dreams and aspirations, the wicked mourn a life contrary to the will of God. How good of God to guide us in a way that is pleasant for the present and will ultimately break out in eternal joy. That is not true for the wicked. For them life turns out to be nothing but preparation for eternal disappointment. Solomon, you’ve done it again! We’d like to sing, so how about, “Praise Gods from whom all blessing flow.” It is time for us to lay hold of the joy that not only awaits us but is ever present. In one of his oft-quoted remarks C. S. Lewis chides the weakness of our desires, writing, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us . . . We are far too easily pleased.”
 
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