July 24, 2026 Morning Devotional
Morning Devotion: Read Proverbs
Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. 4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
Remember a fool is one who does not know God and rejects God saying no to Him.
With that in mind the fool’s wrath is unreasonable as a heavy stone or a large bag of sand. The wrath of an unsaved person is such that it is often hard to bear because it lacks reason.
Often wrath is quickly manifested and is harsh; anger can be the same but anger can be deep seething and long lasting generating bitterness and a host of other vices. However, envy is worse.
ENVY, verb - To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.
Whoever envies another, confesses his superiority.
To grudge; to withhold maliciously.
ENVY, noun - Pain, uneasiness, mortification or discontent excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied with some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, and with pleasure in seeing him depressed. envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess. (Websters Dictionary 1828)
We know that Joseph, the son of Jacob, was envied by his brothers. As a result his brothers sold him into slavery.
Genesis 37:11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Acts 7:9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
Our Lord Jesus Christ was delivered to Pilot the governor to be crucified because of envy. Pilot knew what they did and why.
Mark 15:10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
As in the case of Joseph and in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ, each suffered because of envy.
If you will notice, the envy of the oppressors was because of the good of the one being oppressed.
Often times the goodness or righteousness of one is envied by those who cannot attain it. As a result mediocrity protects mediocrity pulling down the good to mediocrity. In other words, those who envied destroyed those who were better to bring them low. They sold Joseph and they crucified Christ.
It did not work for Joseph became ruler and Christ rose from the dead and is in heaven and will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s.
The world is against the Christian for the Christian holds himself to a higher standard. As a result those who cannot obtain that standard tend to hate and seek to destroy the Christian and all that he stands for.
Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. 4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
Envy is nothing more than covetousness. “Thou shalt not covet.” Exodus 20:17
Don’t envy what others have. Trust in the Lord to meet your needs. Keep your eyes upon Jesus, abide in Him and envy will flee away.
The choice is still yours,
Pastor Cook
