“How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”
Proverbs 16:16

Many believe their security is in the fortune they are able to amass. They see danger coming but they feel safe because they have much silver and gold. But…

“Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s wrath;”
Zephaniah 1:18

The issue here is defiance. The wicked see danger coming, so they prepare for it by putting away a lot of money thinking that they will have enough to ride through the coming judgment. They don’t realize that when the wrath of God is unleashed against a person or a nation – there is no escape for the wicked.

“For when they say, ‘Peace and safety,’
then sudden destruction comes upon them,
as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.
AND THEY SHALL NOT ESCAPE.”
1st Thessalonians 5:3

Who does man think he is, that he can resist the wrath of God?

“Pride goes before DESTRUCTION,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 16:18

On the other hand, the believer sees judgment coming and his response is to pray and ask for guidance. The Lord will guide him and show him what he must do. What he will do will not be done in defiance, it’s done in obedience. Indeed, should persecution come and he be killed – he is instantly in the presence of God in heaven.

Not so for the wicked.

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Hebrews 10:31e

Believer, as we see judgment looming, establish your faith in the Lord, for the living God is a terror to the wicked, but a place of safety to the believer. Commit yourself to the Lord and know that he will keep you, no matter what.