Psalms 37:35 NIV
[35] I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
I wonder of David was thinking of himself when he wrote this. He says he saw this man but he withered away and could not be found even though David looked for him. Perhaps he was thinking of a part of himself which he repented of. Perhaps not.
But it is a good point. Sometimes our former selves did better in this world then our Christian, God following selves.
There may have been better chances for promotion. You may have had more friends. Yet, when you chose Jesus, you died to that person who would fit in those groups. Choosing to leave all past behind you and seek Jesus instead.
We think of the verse about not being upset when the wicked prosper over us, as being about others, but what about who we were before letting Jesus change us. Sometimes we get upset when we think of how well the old us did in this life. Some days we may think unfair that following Jesus better means leaving things behind. But who God is, how He loves us, the way He provides, He is so much greater than anything you could have without Him.
Take away:
The verse above also leads on to say how David sought for the wicked man but could not find him.
When we die to the old us, that person us gone! We may seek them out, but we are better off if we don’t find them.
Carried in the cross 