Proverbs 10:27-28

Fearing the Lord prolongs life,
but the life span of the wicked will be shortened.
The hope of the righteous is joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will remain unfulfilled.

Unresolved Endings. That’s a feeling that can drive some people absolutely crazy. The feeling keeps them up at night, controls their thoughts throughout the day and also controls their whole life.

This seems to have become the mode of operation for hollywood. It seems that they’ve decided that we no longer need movies that end. We need movies that leave us feeling let down. That’s the way life is, so why shouldn’t we experience the same thing in a movie. Of course, they probably have research to support their decisions, but I think it’s one of the things that has been detrimental to their success. People don’t want to pay 20-40 bucks to be disappointed.

I get the idea that the end game for the wicked is going to be this unresolved feeling. They are going to get to the end of their life expecting to find something there, expecting to feel like they have accomplished something great. And yet, they will arrive at their old age and realize that they are still unfulfilled.

However, the righteous do have something to hope for. Joy. When you fear the Lord, you have a hope that is outside yourself. When you don’t, your hope rests solely on you. That means if you never find complete and utter fulfillment within the context of your own existence, you have no other place to look for that hope. However, if your hope is in the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth, then you have a hope that is beyond this world.

Not only to the righteous have a longer life, but they also have a joy to hope for beyond this life. The life span of the wicked is short, and what they have to look for beyond this life is more looking but never finding. More asking but never knowing. More wandering but never arriving.

Do you have hope? If so, I imagine it’s because you fear the Lord. If you don’t have hope, I’d suggest looking to see the set up of the universe you find yourself in. If everything revolves around you, you’re not going to have hope. If everything revolves around the Lord, you will have hope. Take a minute to stop and see where things are, and know how you need to adjust your orbit!