Today's passage describes the benefits and blessings that come to those who live life intimately connected to the Lord. Those who live a life of faith experience certain things the wicked usually don't. A regular and recurring theme in Proverbs teaches us that long life, joy, safety, and security are the benefits of living closely with the Lord.
When looking at life from the perspective of eternity, the wicked do not experience these things the way the righteous do. The wicked may desire joy but they will not experience it. Joy is something much deeper and spiritual than that which the flesh can deliver. Most anyone can experience happiness because happiness is tied to circumstances. Happiness is a word that comes from the root word for "happenstance." While the wicked can be temporarily happy due to the happenstance of life, they can never really experience joy. Joy is a much deeper experience reserved for those who walk intimately with the Lord.
For the most part, when life is lived well, it is lived long. We are constantly reminded by Scripture that the Lord's protection is on His children and that this naturally prolongs their lives here on earth. Not so with the wicked. By choosing not to live their lives in intimacy with God, they are choosing to live outside His protective care. Oftentimes, their life is cut short simply because of the poor and dangerous choices they make in life.
To experience the benefits of joy, safety, security, and longevity of life, we are encouraged to live wisely and intimately with God. To choose to do otherwise is certainly an option. But to do so means you and I will pass up some wonderful benefits offered to us by God Himself. Our choices may bring us temporary happiness but they will fail to deliver us true joy and longevity of life. They will, in fact, fail to protect us from ourselves.
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