Tag: evil

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Psalms Devotionals 2

Hoping in our righteous Judge

Sunrise

…you have ordained a judgment. (Psalm 7:6)

Those words resonated with me this morning.

There is so much evil and injustice in the world that it’s easy to get angry just reading the news.

But God reminded me again: he isn’t ignoring it all.

He has ordained a judgment.

And on that day, he will judge all righteously.

He knows not only people’s actions, but searches their hearts and minds. And if they refuse to repent, they will eventually face his justice.

So even as I read the news today, I choose to set aside my anger and sing with David.

I will thank the Lord for his righteousness;
I will sing about the name of the Lord Most High. (Psalm 17:7)

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Ecclesiastes Devotionals

In a world where we see evil.

Ecclesiastes

I don’t think anyone can deny we live in an evil world. None of us are untouched by it. But how do we deal with evil when we are touched by it?

I think there are three answers we find in this passage.

1. Don’t break your brains trying to find out all the whys for evil in the world.

As I mentioned in my last article, Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived besides Jesus, and he couldn’t figure it out. Neither will you. (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)

2. Trust that God will bring justice in the end. (12-13)

We may never see justice here on earth. (10-11). But our God is good, and ultimately, the Judge of all the earth will do what is right. (Genesis 18:25)

3. Seek God’s wisdom.

We live in a world where people have the power to hurt others. (9) 

Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we’ll escape that. So when people hurt you, seek God’s wisdom on how to deal with them.

When do we seek justice? When do we show mercy? When do we simply leave justice in God’s hands? To answer those questions, we need God’s wisdom.

Solomon said, 

…a wise heart knows the right time and procedure. For every activity there is a right time and procedure, even though a person’s troubles are heavy on him. (Ecclesiastes 8:5-6)

4. Choose to rejoice. (15) 

If our focus is always on our troubles, it will suck us into a pit of despair.

But the Lord is near. He is good. So in the midst of our troubles, let us focus on him, and his goodness to us.

And as we lay our burdens before him, let us not forget all the things we have to be thankful for.

As you do, even though you may be touched by evil in this world, you will know God’s peace. (Philippians 4:5-7)

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Ecclesiastes Devotionals

Why is this happening to me?

Ecclesiastes

Let’s be honest. This passage has some difficult things to understand in it. I have read different commentators talk about this passage, and many times, they are saying completely different things.

Take for example,

Don’t be excessively righteous, and don’t be overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

Don’t be excessively wicked, and don’t be foolish. Why should you die before your time?

It is good that you grasp the one and do not let the other slip from your hand. For the one who fears God will end up with both of them. (Ecclesiastes 7:16-18)

What does it mean, “Don’t be excessively righteous”?

And what does it mean, “Don’t be excessively wicked”?

Is Solomon saying that as long as we don’t sin too much, it’s okay to sin from time to time?

Probably not, considering that he talks about the one who “fears God” holding to both truths.

So what does Solomon mean then?

In verse 12, he talks about how wisdom is a protection for us.

But then he says this does not mean that if we are wise, nothing bad will happen to us.

God of course does bless us. But there are times when he allows us to go through trials too. There are times when good people perish. And there are times when bad people prosper. (13-15)

That said, Solomon points out in verse 20 that no one is truly righteous. All of us sin.

So there is no one that can honestly say, “Why is this happening? I’ve never done anything wrong.”

How often, for example, do we point out others’ sins while failing to see we’re guilty of the exact same things? (21-22)

What Solomon probably means then is, “Don’t see yourself as so righteous that you think you should never go through trials or suffering.”

There is no one that righteous.

On the other hand, just because you sometimes see good people suffer and evil people prosper is no reason to start sinning wildly. That will certainly lead to death. (Romans 6:23)

What does it mean not to be overly wise? Solomon probably means that we shouldn’t think we are wise enough to figure out all the reasons for evil in this world.

Solomon was the wisest person who ever lived apart from Jesus and he couldn’t figure it out.

He studied people both men and women. He never did find a woman he could completely figure out. And he didn’t have much more success with men. The only thing he ever did conclude is that we are all people tainted by sin. (23-29)

We can break our brain and potentially destroy our faith trying to figure out all the reasons for evil in the world.

Job’s friends thought they had all the answers. And all they earned for their “wisdom” was God’s rebuke.

So let us avoid both those ways of thinking. Instead, let us humble ourselves before God, trusting he is good, and continuing to follow him no matter what.

And if we do, like Job, we will find out that he is indeed good. (Job 42)

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Psalms Devotionals

Three choices

Psalms

David wrote this concerning Doeg, whose actions led to the murder of God’s priests. (I Samuel 22:6-23)

How do we respond when we see the evil that people do in the world? I think we can see the answer in David’s words.

  1. Choose to trust in God’s faithful love toward us. That no matter what happens to us, nothing can separate us from it. (Romans 8:35-39)
  2. Choose to give thanks to him. Thank him that justice will ultimately come. But also remembering to thank him for all that he has done for us in the past, and all that he is doing for us now.
  3. Choose to wait for him, putting our hope in God. He will execute justice in his time. And he will make all things right.

In doing so, we become that olive tree planted in the house of God.

What is an olive tree like? It lives long, provides food, and through its oil brings light and healing.

In the same way, we will be people that endure through the hardest of times, and at the same time provide, light, healing, and spiritual food to a hurting world.

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Galatians Devotionals

In the fullness of time

Galatians

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7, ESV)

Sometimes we wonder why God allows so much pain, suffering, and evil in this world. Ever since sin came into the world, humans have been under these things, and the words of that old carol resonate with us.

And in despair I bowed my head.
“There is no peace on earth.” I said.

“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

But in the “fullness of time,” at just the right time, God sent his Son.

His Son was born of a woman. He became human as we are. The pain, suffering, and evil we face every day, Jesus himself faced.

The law of God that we were unable to keep and were condemned by, Jesus lived under perfectly.

And then he went to the cross, taking upon himself the curse the law demanded, not for his own sin, but for ours. (Galatians 3:13-14)

And by taking that curse upon himself, he purchased us for God, not to be his slaves, but to be his sons and daughters.

Now for those of us who have put our trust in him, the right Jesus had to call God, “Abba, Father,” has become ours. We are heirs of God now, and coheirs with Christ.

And in the fullness of time, Jesus will come again. On that day, he will indeed be “Immanuel, God with us.” We will be his people, and he will be our God.

And when we see him, he will wipe away every tear from our eyes, “and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things will have passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)

No, God is not slow in keeping his promises. For as that old carol concludes,

God is not dead, nor does he sleep.
The wrong shall fail; the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.

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Psalms Devotionals

Keeping a right heart

Psalms

One thing God seems to constantly be reminding me is to keep a right heart before him.

So words like these always strike me:

Do not be agitated by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong. (Psalm 37:1-2)

I don’t typically have a problem envying those who do wrong. But agitation?

Try anger. Especially when I see the evil rampant in society and the corruption in government.

But time and again, God reminds me,

for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. (James 1:20)

Instead, when I see evil that would lead me to anger,

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. (1-2, ESV)

In short, don’t worry about the evil others in society may be doing. Keep trusting God, keeping being faithful to him, and do the good he has asked you to do.

More,

Take delight in the Lord… (4)

If we make the Lord our joy, all other things that would normally anger or agitate us will pale in comparison.

And so God tells me,

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him;
do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way,
by the person who carries out evil plans.

Refrain from anger and give up your rage;
do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.

For evildoers will be destroyed,
but those who put their hope in the Lord
will inherit the land (7-9)

Instead of getting all worked up at the evil that I see, be still. Wait for him. If I let myself get angry, it will only lead me into sin.

And then there are these words:

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;
his tongue speaks what is just.

The instruction of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not falter. (30-31)

It’s kind of hard to utter words of wisdom and justice when my heart is ruled by anger. And so I want my heart to be reigned by God’s word.

More, I want each word I speak to be bathed in his grace and truth.

That’s hard to do in these times. But that’s what God is telling me. What is God telling you?

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Judges Devotionals

Failing to drive out evil in our lives

Judges

One of the things God commanded the Israelites to do as to completely drive out the Canaanites from the land, and make no compromise with them.

Why? Because of all their evil. And if they did not drive them out, their sin would eventually spread to the Israelites. (Leviticus 18, Deuteronomy 7:1-5).

But in this chapter, we see time and again the Israelites failing to do this.

In some cases, it was because it was hard. (Judges 1:19, 27, 34).

But that was no excuse. In the days of Joshua, they overcame enemies stronger than they. And in chapter 4 of Judges, we see that enemies having iron chariots were no match for Israel when they followed God.

More, we see that when they sought God’s counsel and they worked together, they could overcome anyone (1:1-5).

So what was the real issue?

In most cases, they just couldn’t be bothered to drive the Canaanites out. They could have. They were strong enough to do so. They simply didn’t.

How about us? God calls us to drive out sin and evil in our lives. But how important is that to us? Do we think that there are certain sins that are no big deal? A quick temper. Selfishness. Pornography.

Or are there sins that we’re finding hard to get rid of, and so we just don’t bother to try anymore?

Don’t make excuses for your sin. God has given his Spirit and each other to help us overcome sin in our lives. (Romans 8:13, James 5:15-16).

One day Jesus will return and we will be like him. So let us strive each day to be pure as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)

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Psalms Devotionals

In a world where wrong is called right

Psalms

We live in a world now where wrong is called right.

Where people think the greatest happiness is in living as they desire.

Where things that were once called sinful are now celebrated.

The scary thing is that many in the church are falling into that trap.

But look at the attitude of David.

How happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk according to the LORD’s instruction!

Happy are those who keep his decrees
and seek him with all their heart. (Psalm 119:1-2)

David doesn’t say, “Happy are those who live as they wish (just so long as they’re not hurting anyone else).”

He says, “Happy are those whose ways is blameless.”

What is his definition of blameless?

It’s those who walk according to the Lord’s instruction. Who seek the Lord with all their heart.

And there is no way to separate “seeking the Lord with all your heart” from keeping his decrees.

Many people say, “I love the Lord!” But when it comes to keeping his word, they say, “Well, that part is not relevant to me.”

To be sure, there are commandments in the Old Testament that are not directly relevant to us in that Jesus and the apostles specifically tell us they are not (Mark 7:14-19, Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 9-10 are some examples).

Even in the Old Testament itself, God would sometimes say, “this is unclean for you.” Not, “This is unclean or sinful.” But “This is unclean…for you.” (See Leviticus 11).

The implication being that it was okay for other nations, but not for the Israelites.

God gave the Israelites certain commandments that they were to keep as a sign that they were different from other peoples, as a sign that God was separating the Israelites for himself.

But there were things that God clearly said were evil for all people. (See Leviticus 18).

But when many people say, “That part is not relevant to me,” they don’t mean what I’ve just laid out.

They mean, “I don’t agree with God’s word, and so I’m just going to live how I want.”

And they (and unfortunately their churches) follow the wave the culture is on.

But look at what David said.

How can a young man keep his way pure? (Psalm 119:9a)

How? By following the cultural wave? No.

By keeping your word. (9b)

More than that, David treasured God’s word (11).

David proclaimed God’s word (13).

David rejoiced in God’s word (14).

David meditated on God’s word (15).

David delighted on God’s word (16).

How about you? Is that your attitude toward God’s word?

If it isn’t, you need to take a close look at whether you truly are a Christian or not.

How do you see God’s word?

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Acts Devotionals

Angry at evil?

Acts

This past week, in Japan (where I live), a terrible incident happened in which 34 were people were killed due to an arsonist who set fire to an anime studio called Kyoto Animation.

A friend of mine, who is an anime fan, was extremely upset about it, but so was my wife who is not an anime fan.

I think it is a natural reaction. We should be upset, both angry and saddened by this kind of evil.

The question is, “What do we do about it?” Just complain about the evil and ask God why he doesn’t stop it? Simply mourn over the tragedy of it?

I think about the passage in Acts 17 where Paul was in Athens.

He saw a city filled with idols, and Luke tells us, “he was deeply distressed” by it. Other translations put it, “he was greatly provoked” or “he was upset.”

In short, he was angry.

What did he do? Simply rage at its evil? Simply mourn over it?

No. He went out and preached the gospel to everyone he could.

Why? Because the only solution to sin and evil in this world is the gospel. Only the power of the gospel can change lives and bring healing to this broken world.

The question is, “Do you believe it? Do you believe it enough that when you see all the evil that sin causes, you want to share the gospel to all the hurting people around you?”

What is your response to evil?

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Psalms Devotionals

The One who is on the throne

Psalms

Sometimes, we look at the world, and it can get discouraging. We see all the evil and all the people who are hurting. Sometimes we ourselves are hurting.

And we wonder where God is.

But to David, the answer was very clear. God is on his throne. He has not abandoned it. He is not out on vacation somewhere.

He is on his throne. And the day will come when he will judge evil and bring justice to this world.

And for all those who are hurting now, he will bring healing and peace.

So if you’re struggling, if you are wondering where God is, remember: he is on his throne.

He has always been there, and he always will.

So let us worship and sing,

Blessing and honor and glory and power
be to the one seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Revelation 5:13)

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Deuteronomy Devotionals

Calling evil, “evil”

Deuteronomy

I’m thinking about my next message I’ll be giving at my church, where Jesus talks about “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” versus forgiveness.

I think one thing that many people don’t realize is that “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” was never, not even in Moses’ day, to be interpreted as justification for personal revenge.

No one person had the right to take an eye for an eye or a tooth for tooth, nor a life for a life.

You can see this, when Moses said,

“One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done.

A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (Deuteronomy 19:15)

Verse 16 makes clear that this was to be done in front of the priests and judges who would decide these kinds of cases.

The other thing to remember is this “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” was very rarely, if ever, literally interpreted by the priests and judges.

Rather, the idea was to limit the severity of the judgment, that is, to match the punishment with the crime.

The judges were not to kill a person, for example, for knocking out another person’s tooth.

So when Jesus talks about forgiveness in Matthew 5, he is not contradicting God’s law. Nor is he saying that we are to let injustice run rampant in society.

Rather, he’s saying, “Don’t apply to yourself a law that was meant for judges in order to execute your own personal revenge. Let the law take care of them. And even if the law fails you, leave it in God’s hands.

“But as for you, you are to forgive that person and pray for them.”

But there is one more point.

In applying this law, Moses said,

You must purge the evil from you.

Then everyone else will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything evil like this among you. (19-20)

How often do we call evil, “evil” nowadays?

How often do we call adultery “evil”?

Or any kind of sex outside of marriage “evil”?

How often do we call lies, “evil”?

Or filthy or coarse language “evil”?

Too often, we take sins lightly. We call them “faults.”

Sometimes, because of our culture, we don’t consider them as bad at all. As a result, we do not think it necessary to purge them out of our lives. Or out of our churches.

But God never takes sin lightly. And neither should we.

In fact, Paul uses those words, “purge the evil from among you,” when talking about disciplining a man in the church who was unrepentantly committing sexual sin. (1 Corinthians 5:13)

Again, the church was not like the judges of the Old Testament who were authorized by God to execute someone. But they were to expel the person from the church.

We are to do the same with unrepentant people who claim to be Christians in our churches.

And of course, by the power of the Spirit living in us (for we can’t do it in our own strength), we are to purge sin from our own lives.

But we won’t seriously consider doing that unless we see sin as God does.

How about you? How do you see sin?

Do you see it as God does?

Do you see it as evil?

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Revelation

Tolerating evil in our midst

Revelation

Tolerance.

It used to have such a good meaning.

It used to mean that even if we disagreed with someone, we could still love them and at the very least have a civil relationship with them.

Now it means that you can’t ever say that they’re wrong. Particularly when it comes to sin.

And the problem with many churches today is that this is exactly what they do. When sin comes into the church, they tolerate it. Not in the sense of welcoming non-Christians and working to bring them to Christ that they may be saved.

But in the sense of looking at their sin, worse, looking at other Christians’ sins and saying that it is not sin at all.

And that’s what was happening in the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira.

These churches had their good points. Pergamum had remained faithful to Christ even in the face of persecution, and the death of one of their own, a man named Antipas. (Revelation 2:13)

And Thyatira, unlike Ephesus, continued to show their passion for Christ, doing more than they had at first. (19)

But both had fallen into the trap of “tolerance.”

The church at Pergamum tolerated people who held false beliefs. Beliefs that led them into idolatry and sexual sin.

These were the very sins that Balaam had led the Israelites into back when they were traveling in the desert.

Because God forbade Balaam from cursing Israel directly, Balaam took the back door by getting the Israelite men to marry Moabite women, knowing it would lead them into idolatry and the curse of God.

Now these people at Pergamum were falling into the same kind of sin, and the leaders were doing nothing about it.

The church at Thyatira did much the same, tolerating a prophetess that Jesus derisively named “Jezebel.”

In Israel’s history, a woman named Jezebel had once led her husband King Ahab, and as a result all of Israel into idolatry.

And now this woman, in teaching the “deeper secrets of God,” was leading the Thyatirans into idolatry and sexual sin as well.

And Jesus warns, “Judgment is coming.”

In revealing himself to the Pergamum church, he emphasizes the double-edged sword coming out of his mouth. But this sword is not to heal, but to cut and judge. (12, 16)

To the church at Thyatira, he reveals himself as the one whose eyes are like fire, seeing the evil going on in the darkness and burning away all the veils that would hide their evil, and with feet like bronze to trample on all the evil that was going on. (18)

He in fact warns that because Jezebel refused to repent despite multiple warnings, he would make her and those who followed her suffer until they repented. And if they would not repent, they would die. (22-23)

Did Jesus mean this literally? I think he did. We see this in Acts 5:1-10, I Corinthians 5:5, and I Corinthians 11:27-30.

For while we may be “tolerant” of evil, Jesus is not when it is infecting his church.

But if we will fight and overcome this evil in the church, Jesus says that he will give us some of the hidden manna and a white stone. (2:17)

The Jews believed that when the Messiah came, the Ark of the Covenant would reappear and all would eat manna at his banquet.

In that context, the white stone could refer to the stone given to victors at games for entrance at a celebration banquet.

More, Jesus told the Thyatirans that he would give them authority over the nations when he comes back to rule as king. And he would also give them the morning star.

Jesus himself, is called the morning star (see Revelation 22:16), and so perhaps this is a reference to a close relationship with Jesus himself.

But for those who refuse to repent, only judgment remains.

As bad as “tolerance” is right now in the church, it will only get worse when antichrist and his false prophet appears. When that happens, the only thing that won’t be tolerated is the true faith that we preach.

And if we are tolerating evil now, what will happen when antichrist comes?

How about you and your church? Are you tolerating evil in your midst?

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1 Timothy

Seared consciences

1 Timothy

We live in a world where people no longer seem to know what good or evil is. Things that are evil, they call good. Things that are good, they call evil.

Why? What has happened to us?

The problem is not new. It was present even in the time of Paul. And here he pinpoints what the problem is.

He wrote to Timothy,

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. (1 Timothy 4:1-6)

Paul warns Timothy that the days would come when people would abandon the faith and follow the teachings of demons.

And one of the hallmarks of this teaching is an inability to distinguish good from evil. Why do people fall for this kind of teaching?

Because their consciences have been seared. Their consciences have been so badly damaged, they can no longer distinguish good from evil.

The people in Paul’s day were taking things that God called good (marriage, food, etc) and calling them evil.

On the other hand, they were stirring up all these myths and controversies that were dividing the church and taking them away from the true gospel, and calling them good.

The issues are different today, but the problem is the same. Because of people’s seared consciences, they call what is evil, good, and what is good, evil.

And so Paul told Timothy, “You need to tell your people the truth that you have been taught since you were young. Don’t let them be deceived by these false teachers. Don’t let your people’s consciences becomes seared as these false teachers’ consciences have become.”

For pastors and teachers in the church, Paul’s charge remains the same.

Don’t compromise on the truth of God’s word. Though our culture may push us to change what God has said, don’t let them. For in giving into our culture, we give in to the doctrine of demons.

And for you in the church, immerse yourself in the word of God. Let His word be your standard, not our culture, lest your conscience become seared as well.

How about you? Are you finding yourself trying to explain away scripture to fall in line with the world?

Don’t let your conscience be seared by the teachings of demons. Let us hold to the truth of God’s word, forever calling good, good, and  evil, evil.

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Acts

Provoked

Acts

It can be easy, sometimes, to get numb to the evil that we see in the world.

Perhaps at first, the things we saw bothered us, but as time passed, we started getting “used to it all.” Now we barely notice it at all.

Paul certainly didn’t have that problem. He walked into Athens and saw a number of idols all over the place. And Luke tells us,

He was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. (Acts 17:16)

The NASB puts it this way,

His spirit was being provoked within him.

The word provoked is used only twice in the New Testament, once here, and second, in of all places, 1 Corinthians 13:5 where Paul writes that love is not easily provoked or angered.

Yet Paul was provoked here. Why? Because people were going to hell because of these idols. Satan had deceived them and was making a mess of their lives.

And so he did something about it. He boldly took the gospel to these people that they might be saved.

How about you? Are you provoked by the evil around you? By the injustice? By people calling what’s evil good? By Satan’s work that causes people to be destroyed every day?

If not, there is something wrong. People inhabited by God’s Spirit cannot just look at evil and yawn. We cannot be indifferent. We need to go out led by God’s Spirit and be light and salt to the world around us.

Jesus said,

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?

It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (Matthew 5:13-15)

Are you tasteless salt because you’ve become numb to the evil that’s in the world? Are you a hidden light because of your indifference?

Let us be neither. Rather let us be provoked in our spirit to the point that we do something about it.

Let us no longer sit in silence, but go as God’s light in a darkened world.

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Matthew Matthew 13

Parable of the weeds: Why evil?

Matthew

The problem of evil is one that many people in this world struggle with. They wonder how a good God could allow evil in this world.

In this parable, we see at least part of the reason.

I think the first thing we should note is that God is not responsible for the evil in this world. God is holy. He never does anything wrong. All the seeds he sows are good seeds.

But there is an enemy. And Satan sows his seeds in the hearts of people as well, causing them to grow as weeds in this world, causing much damage to those around them.

God could pull them out, but Jesus says here that if he were to do so, it would be impossible to do so without wrecking havoc with those God has called to salvation.

How is that possible? I’m not sure. But there are, for example, some people that are so indifferent to God, that it takes something painful to shake them up and turn them to God.

It might be a natural disaster. It might be some hurt that another causes to them.

But through these things, they come to God. And God knows that if they never went through these experiences, they would never come to him. And so he allows the “weeds” to remain in the world.

In short, there are many things that God sees that we don’t. There are many things that God knows that we don’t.

But remember this. There will be a day of judgment. For the murderer or rapist. For everyone who rebels against God.

And on that day, people will see the difference between those who serve God and those who reject him.

So as I’ve said before, when you see the evil around you, don’t lose hope. Wait patiently, for the time is coming when all will be made right.

And on that day, God’s justice and wisdom will be known to all.

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Psalms

Deliver me from evil

Psalms

And so we come down to the homestretch for the book of Psalms.  It’s taken about 4 months to get this far, and we have just under two more weeks to complete it.

Anyway, as I look at Psalm 140, I’m reminded of how Jesus taught us to pray.  One thing that he told us to pray was,

Deliver us from evil.  (Matthew 6:13)

That’s what David prays throughout this psalm, and for that matter, through the next few psalms.

This psalm was probably written either during his flight from King Saul or his son Absalom.  And he prays,

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men;
protect me from men of violence,
who devise evil plans in their hearts
and stir up war every day.

They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers is on their lips.

Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet.

Proud men have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path. (Psalm 140:1-5)

From his prayer, David seems to be in a pretty bleak situation, with people looking to destroy him.  So he prays, “rescue me,” “keep me,” and “protect me.”

Yet in the midst of his trouble, we see David’s confidence in the Lord.  He says in verse 6,

O LORD, I say to you, “You are my God.”

and again in verse 7,

O Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, who shields my head in the day of battle.  (7)

He then prays that God would bring justice on those who would destroy him, and he concludes by praying,

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.

Surely the righteous will praise your name and the upright will live before you.  (12-13)

Some of us are going through trials right now as people, who for whatever reason, are fighting against us and trying to bring us down.

But though people may hate us, let us be like David laying out our problems before God, and letting him deal out the justice, while we ourselves show mercy to our enemies, as David did with Saul, and desired to do with Absalom.

For some of us, we may not have anyone fighting against us right now.  But it would be well for us to remember that we are in a spiritual war.  That there are forces out there that are hostile to us and want to bring us down.

Jesus himself knew this.  That was why he told his disciples to pray, “Deliver me from evil.”

It should be part of our prayers too.  We’re in a broken world, filled with broken people, and the Enemy who first brought sin into the world is still running around loose.

So let us clothe ourselves with prayer.  More than that, let us not simply live in defensive mode, but in attack mode.

As one minister put it, all the armor we’ve been given is for the front, not the back.

So let us always be moving forward with God before us.  As the old hymn goes,

Onward Christian soldiers!
Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.

Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle,
See, His banners go!

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Psalms

Angered by the evil around us

Psalms

How often do you get angered by the evil that you see around you?  That’s how the psalmist felt.

What did he see around him?  Lying lips.  Deceitful tongues.  (2)  And people who not only disrupted peace, but caused war because of the evil in their hearts.   (Psalm 120:6-7)

And so the psalmist moaned,

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! (Psalm 120:5)

According to Charles Spurgeon, these were basically wandering tribes that went around plundering the peoples around them.

Whether the psalmist literally lived among them, or he was saying that the people around him were like these people, I don’t know.

The interesting thing, though, is this a song of ascent.  Namely, it was a song that people sang as they made their pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

It seems a bit strange that one would be singing this kind of song as they’re turning their faces towards God to worship him.  But then again, maybe it’s not so strange.

Life is not always pleasant.  And when we look at the world around us, it’s easy to get depressed.  To wonder where God is.  To wonder if he’s doing anything about the evil we see.

But as this psalmist turns his eyes towards God, he reminds himself that God will ultimately bring justice, and that all will be made right.  He writes,

What will he do to you, and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?

He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree.  (3-4)

So let us not get discouraged by the evil we see on the news.  Instead, let us remember our God is good and that he is just.

Take your eyes off of the evil that you see, and put them on the God who will someday make all things right.

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Ezekiel

Whitewashing the truth

Ezekiel

”Do I really need to share the gospel with my grandma? Sure, she’s not a Christian, but she’s a really nice person. Surely God will accept her.”

How often do we hear Christians say this? Or maybe they won’t say it, but they think it. And so they never share the gospel with their loved ones.

Even among some Christian “ministers,” they preach universalism. That eventually, everybody will be in heaven. Forget hell. Just preach God’s love.

But when we do that, we whitewash the truth. And God hates that.

In fact, in this passage, he drills the so-called prophets for doing exactly that.  He told them,

You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.  (Ezekiel 13:5)

Later he said of them,

They lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall.

Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth.

When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”  (10-12)

What were these prophets doing?

They were saying to the Israelites, “You’re cool with God. Don’t worry about his judgment. You’re fine.”

And though they could see that the Israelites were a tottering wall because of their sin, instead of preaching repentance so that the wall could be stabilized and strengthened, they merely whitewashed it with words of peace.

The result? Judgment. Exile. And death.

And the same thing will happen to those we love if we whitewash the sins in their lives. If we say to them, “Peace,” when they have no peace with God.

Let us never whitewash the truth.

Let us be honest with those who are separated from God and in danger of judgement and call them to repentance.

For only then, will they find true life.

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Habakkuk

Trusting God in the midst of an evil world

Habakkuk

We hit yet another minor prophet here.

Habakkuk probably prophesied during the time of Jeremiah, and this book was probably written sometime during the reign of King Jehoiakim the son of Josiah.

Jehoiakim came to power (so to speak) when his brother Jehoahaz was dethroned by Egypt after a mere three months on the throne, and Egypt made Jehoiakim their puppet king.

And during his reign, Habakkuk was appalled at all the evil he saw going on in Judah.

Once again, the people of Judah had fallen into idolatry, and evil and injustice were rampant.

And so Habakkuk cried out to God saying,

How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?

Why do you tolerate wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.

The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2–4)

Does this at all sound familiar to you?

The things Habakkuk saw in his day, we see in ours. Violence. Injustice. A legal system that at times seems paralyzed. Justice that is perverted.

And like so many people today, Habakkuk cried out to God, “Why? Why do you allow this? Why don’t you do something?”

How did God answer? He told Habakkuk that judgment was coming to Judah through the Babylonians.

Up until that time, Egypt and Assyria had been the main powers in the world.

But now Babylon was going to take their place of power, and through them, God would punish not only Judah, but the other nations for their sins. (Habakkuk 1:5–11)

At that point, Habakkuk said, “Wait a minute. The Babylonians are even worse than we are. And you’re going to use them to punish us? How can you allow them to swallow up those who are more righteous than they are?” (Habakkuk 1:12–13)

God basically answered Habakkuk, “Yes, even though they are more evil than Judah, I will use them to punish Judah as well as the other nations.

“But don’t worry about it, they will get theirs. Their day of judgment is coming too, and they will eventually be overthrown.” (Habakkuk 2)

But in the midst of all this, he tells Habakkuk and us something very important.

He says, “These Babylonians are all puffed up. They think they’re so great because of their power and might. As a result, they put their faith solely in themselves. But Habakkuk, the righteous person will live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

It is the one verse that the apostle Paul quoted time and again. It was the verse that Martin Luther made as the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation.

And it was one of the main messages God was telling Habakkuk in the midst of a world of evil.

“Trust me. I am good. I am just. And I will make all things right.”

God told Habakkuk,

Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:2–3)

And after proclaiming judgment on Babylon, he told Habakkuk,

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him. (Habakkuk 2:20)

In other words, “Habakkuk, I am in control. It may not seem that way now. But I am. And all the earth will bow to me and my will. So Habakkuk, trust me.”

How does Habakkuk respond? He responds with praise and prayer.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2)

That’s how we should respond as we look at all the evil in this world.

Praise him. Remember his goodness. Remember what he’s done.

And then pray for revival in this fallen world, that God’s mercy might fall on us once again.

And as you do so, continue to walk in faith, trusting him. Habakkuk closes by saying,

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17–19)

Lord, this world is full of evil. I see it every day.

But Lord, help me to trust in you despite all the evil that is there. To believe that you are in control. To believe that one day justice will come.

Lord remember mercy on those who have fallen. Let me be your agent of mercy. And may I walk each day trusting you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Jeremiah

Bringing evil upon ourselves

Jeremiah

Why is this happening to me?  People often ask that question when bad things happen in their lives. 

Sometimes, bad things happen because we are caught in a world corrupted by sin.  But sometimes, we bring evil upon ourselves.  That’s what the people of Judah did.

In this passage, God warns them of the coming judgment through Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  That he would come and besiege the land, and leave Judah in ruins (6-7).

And the people would have no one to blame but themselves.  They had hardened their hearts against God’s message, from the king, to the priests and prophets, all the way down the people. 

God said of them,

They (the Babylonian army) surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me. 

Your own conduct and actions have brought this upon you.  This is your punishment. 

How bitter it is!  How it pierces to the heart.  (Jeremiah 4:17-18)

And again,

My people are fools; they do not know me.  They are senseless children; they have no understanding.  They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.  (22)

Even when disaster overtook them, they refused to repent, prostituting themselves to other gods.  And so Jeremiah asked,

What are you doing, O devastated one? 

Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold?  Why shade your eyes with paint?  You adorn yourself in vain.  Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.  (30)

It’s amazing how little changes over the centuries.  People harden their hearts against God and suffer the consequences of their own sin.  Yet instead of repenting, they continue to live a life that would destroy them.

How about you?  Are you that way? 

Are there things that you’re doing that are destroying your marriage, your relationships, your career, or your life? 

Despite seeing what damage you’re doing, are you persisting in your attitudes and actions? 

Or will you repent?