"Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot" (Proverbs 10:6-7).
The contrast between the righteous and the wicked continues with a description of what results from both lifestyles. For the righteous, the ability to acknowledge blessing is the result. For the wicked, being overwhelmed is the result.
Godly men and women all over the world speak openly about how blessed they are by the Lord. They tell of how wonderful it is to walk with Him daily, to serve Him with their time, talent, and treasure. In contrast, out of the mouth of the wicked comes violence and rot.
The strong faith of believers keeps them faithful in their journey with Him whether life is easy or difficult on any given day. Their loyalty to Christ is not dependent on whether or not the sun is shining the day they have a family picnic planned. They speak of God's faithfulness and blessing while they are going through chemotherapy. They sing God's praises while changing flat tires, folding laundry, sitting in traffic, battling the flu, or even arranging a funeral for a loved one they know they will desperately miss. The righteous experience God's blessings in the midst of life's brokenness.
Not so with the wicked. The wicked are overwhelmed by the brokenness of life. The Hebrew word for "concealed" can be translated "overwhelmed" or "covered." Those who do not walk through life with the Lord can only be overwhelmed by the rottenness of life's brokenness.
The righteous and the wicked are both hit by the junk of life. Both experience diseases, flat tires, dirty laundry, horrific traffic, loss of loved ones, and even rained out picnics. The righteous acknowledge the blessings of the Lord in the midst of life while the wicked are simply overwhelmed.
Verse 7 tells us that just remembering the life of righteous people brings blessing while most people want to forget the wicked. "The name of the wicked will rot" simply means their life was not remarkable enough to remember. Those who walk with the Lord through thick or thin, rain or shine, in sickness or in health, in riches or in poverty, are the ones who tell of the blessings of the Lord. The wicked are simply overwhelmed and then soon forgotten.
"The righteous experience God's blessings in the midst of life's brokenness." That turns the definition of blessing on its head. When things are going our way in life, we say God is blessing us. But maybe when things are going God's way in life, He is blessing us, even when that way includes having us in a place of brokenness. What a radical way of thinking about blessing...
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