“Good understanding giveth favor, but the way of transgressors is hard…Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid” (Proverbs 13:15 [KJV]; Proverbs 13:21 [NKJV]).
When “He had a hard life” is given as the final analysis of someone’s earthly sojourn, it usually comes because he had embraced evil, transgression, and sin. Living in defiance of Jehovah’s moral and spiritual laws will always make for hard times. Evil doggedly pursues evildoers. And, without fail, those who transgress God’s will find themselves, not God, broken by their failure to obey. God is not mocked. Sowing your wild oats and then praying for crop failure is not a wise or viable approach to life.
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness bring divine blessings into your life. You will be repaid handsomely with a clear conscience, no haunting remorse, and well-deserved respect from respectable people. Choosing the path of righteousness is not easy, but it does mean you will not have to live the hard life.
