When Evil Seems To Win!

Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed!
Do not envy evildoers!

For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants.

Trust in the Lord and do what is right!
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!

~Psalm 37:1-3

 

"What do we do when evil seems to win?"  This is a question I hear over and over.  It is usually followed by, "What's the point of doing the right thing when it doesn't seem to do any good?"  These are good questions.  Tough questions, but good ones nonetheless.

 

What should we do when it seems evil prevails?  Should we do nothing? Should we get angry and start a fight?  Should we bury our heads in the church and pray for the best?  Well....NO actually.  

 

Then what does God tell us to do?  

•  Do not fret!  Now understand the word translated FRET is the Aramaic word Charah which means: to be hot, furious, burn, become angry, be kindled.  God is telling us not to let it burn us up.
• Trust in the Lord! That seems fairly straight forward on paper. The word translated TRUST is the Aramaic word BATACH which means: to have bold confidence.  So we are to have BOLD CONFIDENCE in God!  Remember, God is the God of all creation and is far more powerful than anything we will face.  Also remember that even Satan himself had to present himself before God in Job.  Satan may seem as if he is winning, but he has already lost!
• Do what is right! This means exactly that, do what is RIGHT not what is easiest or most expedient.  Do what is right even when you think no one notices because, believe it or not, your actions are noticed by God and by others.
• Maintain Your Integrity!  My Grampa once told me that Integrity is like a candle in the dark.  The candle shines and isn't concerned who sees because the candle is doing the right thing by sharing light!  That is integrity!

 

Keep calm, trust God, do what is right, and keep your integrity intact.  That is what we are to do all the time and especially when it seems like evil is winning.

With All That's Going On In The World...

Don’t be too quick to get angry

    because anger lives in the fool’s heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:9

 

We argue and fight for any number of stupid reasons, let's be honest.  Sadly, these altercations don't really resolve anything.  They do tend to make divisions even more prevalent.  They do tend to make the participants look less than the brightest candle on the cake.  So why are we so quick to be offended and angry?  Why are we so quick to jump from discussion to brawl?

 

We have learned somewhere along the way that if you poke me in the eye, then I will shoot you in the head and believe I win (from inside the prison cell).  We seem to have lost the ability to articulate and reason together.  We seem to have lost the ability to have respect for others or ourselves for that matter.  We are quick to DEMAND respect, instead of earning it.  We are also quick to disrespect others who disagree with us.

 

Notice the verse doesn't say "Don't get angry" because there are times when we should be angry (when a child is abused or an elderly person is attacked).  The verse says "Don't be too quick to get angry."  Count to 10 (as my Grampa used to say).  Take a stick and whack a tree with it.  Go chop some firewood.  Go for a run or walk.  Why? Because we, as humans, are very prone to knee-jerk reactions instead of planned actions.  It's easier to escalate than to discuss.  It's easier to talk over everyone else than to actually listen to their point of view.

 

Easy is not always the best!  

 

Why? Because!

If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the 

Jews will appear from another source, 

while you and your father’s household perish. 

It may very well be that you have achieved royal status 

for such a time as this!”

~ Esther 4:14

 

Consider this: God coordinated everything in all the Universe to put you in the position you have found yourself right now.  And the astounding thing? God did this before time was time!  

 

Now, that doesn't mean we understand all the whys and wherefores; we may wonder if God has lost His mind; we may think God is out to get us, but God has put you right where you are for such a time as this!  Of all the people throughout all of history that God could have put in your place right this second, God chose YOU to be RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!

 

That's pretty much an awesome compliment!

What Can Man Do To Me?

But when I am afraid,
    I will put my trust in you.

I praise God for what he has promised.
    I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
    What can mere mortals do to me?

~Psalm 56:3-4

 

What is it that just ruins your day?  Is it having to go to work at a job you don't like?  Could it be having to go home to a situation that stresses you out?  How about when you are happy, things are going well, you love what you do, and then BAM....change is brought in?

 

Let's put a little perspective on this:  Look back on your life so far.  How many times have you had to deal with change?  Well changing from infant to toddler can be traumatic (especially for the parents).  Changing from the youth to teenager is a huge change (especially if you are awkward, geeky, nerdy or introverted).  Change is part of life!  We must either accept it and adapt or get run over by it.

 

But there is a constant that we can count on every moment of every day:  God is with us!  Does change scare you? Talk to God about it.  Does change tick you off? Talk to God about it.  Listen to me with both ears: When you read through the Psalms, David didn't always say polite things to God in Ye Olde English.  Many, many, MANY times David told God exactly what was on his mind and heart!  He backed his manure truck up and DUMPED it right at the foot of the Throne of God!  And guess what?  God listened.  God understood.  God brought David through it all!  

 

And God will do the same for you! 

Where's Your Peace?

On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him. Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. But he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!”

~ Mark 4:35-41

Storms shake things up.  Storms bring change.  Storms are not always welcome.  But storms are a part of life.  

In today's passage, Jesus and the Disciples were boating across to the other side of a lake.  Jesus, who was tired from teaching and healing, fell asleep in the back of the boat.  Then came the wind which stirred up the waves until the boat began taking on water.  And Jesus slept on.  Finally, when the boat was about to swamp, the Disciples decided it was probably time to wake Jesus up and inform Him that the boat was going to sink.  

So instead of waking Jesus and telling Him, "We are sinking!  Help!" the Disciple take a different, rather disrespectful, approach by asking Jesus, "Don't you care that we are about to die?"  Ever notice when stress enters our lives and we feel overwhelmed, courtesy is one of the first things to disappear?

Jesus woke up and told the storm to, as my Grampa told us many times, "Sit Down and Shut Up!" In the Greek, the word means to "silence one's voice" (usually involuntarily with a gag or some other restraint).

  

Think about this:

     * Do you think the Jesus was unaware of the storm?

     * Do you think Jesus panicked as the Disciples did?

     * Why?

Jesus was not surprised or taken off guard by the storm.  He knew the storm was coming.  Jesus had no need to panic because He knew storms are never permanent.  Jesus also had no reason to panic because He is God the Son.  Jesus relied on the fact that the Father will take care of His children even when the children cannot see how.  Jesus faced the storm head-on and reminded the storm who is in charge (and it isn't the storm).

Now, think about this:  God has promised never to leave us and that He will take care of us.  So why do we fear storms?  Because storms are loud, chaotic, destructive, and in your face!  Storms don't surprise our Father, because He knew all about you and everything that would happen in your life before He even spoke the world into being!

And if we claim to trust in Jesus, what would happen if we turned our storms over to Him?  Storm....meet Jesus!  Who do you think would have the last word?  

 

 

We Are Peace!

Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like the members of your family. 

Be the best at showing honor to each other. Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 

Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home.  

Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying.  

Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. 
Don’t think that you’re so smart. 
 Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.

If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.
~Romans 12:9-18

Today, I ask only that you carefully and prayerfully read this passage, then reflect on it from THIS perspective: PEACE...IT BEGINS WITH ME! 

Do The Walk Of Life

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
    what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
    be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
    take God seriously.

~Micah 6:8 

 

When I was younger (younger being a relative term), one of my favorite songs was "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits.  There was something about the catchy tune that stuck with me.  Combine that with Monty Python's "Ministry of Silly Walks" and you have a party waiting to happen.

 

But here's what I want you to consider: God has laid our very clearly what He wants from us...to ACT JUSTLY; to LOVE MERCY; to WALK HUMBLY!  What do we do instead?  Look at the news!  Act Justly?  Not really, we want our own way and everyone else is completely wrong!  Love Mercy? Hardly! We want revenge (and we call it "justice").  And we take ourselves FAR too seriously!

 

Listen with both ears: If you want to see change, then change YOU first!  Here's the first practical step to change you...Don't take yourself so seriously.  Think about this...one of the reasons we get upset and offended is because we take ourselves far too seriously.  And the other reason we get upset and offended is because someone has seen behind our mask of Cool!

 

How about this, BE REAL!!  BE GENUINE!! Keeping a mask in place all the time is enormously draining.  The day I understood that, life got a WHOLE lot easier!