Reading & interpreting God's word VERSUS reading & interpreting your circumstances. Which one do you primarily engage in?

I’ve noticed how people will often find themselves under favorable circumstances DESPITE the fact that they’re living in blatant sin. They ignore the fact that the Bible speaks explicitly and in plain language about their situation YET they downplay it and reason that God must be happy with them because he keeps “blessing” them in tangible ways be it in their relationships and/or through a good job etc. They “read and interpret” their favorable circumstances as God’s stamp of approval upon their lives. For example, sometimes there are Christians who choose to date and/or marry unbelievers, but they continue or remain in said relationships because they feel happy, they “prayed about it” and/or “have inner peace about it.”

Here are a some thoughts on this disastrous way of thinking: The Bible teaches that the world does not work this way namely that only good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. King Solomon made this observation: “In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing” (Ecc. 7:15). In the New testament Jesus spoke of “a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day” (Lk. 16:19), but in the end he ended up in hell where “being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off” (v. 23) and the deceased rich man pleaded with Abraham to warn his family of hell. Abraham reminded the rich man about the his “lifetime” on earth and how he enjoyed “good things.” Here was a rich man who lived a successful life in terms of wealth yet he was bankrupt of compassion for the poor. It could be he never entertained the thought of his sin because after all, God was “blessing” him. Perhaps he read and interpreted his material prosperity as God’s approval. In preaching to pagans the Apostle Paul appealed to God’s goodness to nations despite their sins saying, “In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:16, 17). Yet Paul calls them to repent of their idolatry. They were idolaters and God still blessed them with good things. The book of Romans teaches “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4). It’s not meant to keep you in sin. The Bible also says, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Let’s not think that God’s delay in carrying out judgment means he forgot or worse that he approves.    

On the other hand there are those who read their Bibles, interpret and understand the word of God correctly. They know God’s revealed will and so they “strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14) yet despite all their God-pleasing efforts they find themselves under bad circumstances be it the loss of a job, economic struggle, tension in relationships and so forth. There is great potential for discouragement if they take their eyes off God’s revealed will. There is a temptation to read and interpret these negative circumstances as God’s way of showing disapproval. We must not do this. We must make examine our lives in light of the word of God and order our lives accordingly despite positive or negative circumstances.