June 8 - The Foolishness Of Envy.

Proverbs 27:4
“Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?”
 
Envy is even worse than wrath or anger.
Cain killed his brother, Abel, out of envy.
Joseph’s brothers placed him in a pit and sold him out of envy.
The Jews took counsel against Jesus Christ out of envy.
 
None of these men could stand against the envy others had toward them; not even Christ Himself. If they could not, what makes us think we can?
 
Proverbs 6:34
“For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.”
 
Envy is conceived through lust and is nothing by a tool of the devil.
He plants the seed of lust in our wicked hearts, and then when we see someone else with the object of our desire, envy settles within us.
 
James 4:1-5
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”
 
The envy of others is contagious. Those who vocalize their envy are not wise. Jealousy is foolishness, which only creates havoc and chaos.
 
James 3:14-16
“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
 
The foolishness of envy is all around us. We must be aware of the effects of envy, and seek to avoid those who are envious.
 
Galatians 5:25-26
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
 
 
Bible Reading:
2 Kings 3-4  |  2 Corinthians 10  |  Proverbs 8