Who will you follow?

Tolerating evil leads only to more evil. And when good people stand by and do nothing while wickedness reigns, their communities will be consumed. (Bob Riley)

The Lord approves of those who are good, but he condemns those who plan wickedness. Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots. (Proverbs 12:2-3)

Some may think wickedness can be overlooked, but as quickly as a wicked person's plans are set in motion, the godly put down even deeper roots. Why? The only way to withstand wickedness is by being deeply rooted in righteousness. Roots solidly planted in God's protective soil will help us stand strong against all manner of evil around us.

Wicked people rise up quickly, but their influence soon wanes when people begin to get a whiff of their vile plans. Search for evil and it will find you (Proverbs 11:27). The godly seek good, finding it in God's favor, while the evil find no favor. Therefore, their influence will eventually begin to turn the other way. Some will continue to follow their evil plans, but the godly will soon see the way they are headed is toward destruction and not greatness.

Wickedness has a way of creating its own INSTABILITY. Perhaps that is one way we can always identify wicked plans. They promise great things but lack the substance to deliver on those plans. It is all smoke and mirrors with the wicked! As this proverb reminds us, "Trouble chases sinners". (vs. 21) The godly are actually chased by God's blessings. There is no evil plan great enough to interfere with God's blessings.

Try as they might, the plans of the wicked will only lead to troubles beyond their control. The trouble comes not only to the one who plans and schemes, but to those foolish enough to follow those who lead in such a manner. Make wise choices as to who you align your life with - who you follow determines the course you will take and the end you will either enjoy or regret. Just sayin!