“The following was taken from the Thursday Prayer & a Psalm on March 30, 2023)
I’m very much aware of the tragedy in Nashville earlier this week. These kinds of things seem to send many Christ-followers into orbit with questions that range from, “Where was God?” “Why does God allow this sort of thing?”
Many Christ-followers lose faith while many become consumed with fear for their own life or the lives of loved ones.
For some of us, it seems as if evil is winning.
Admittedly, there does seem to be an escalation of evil in recent months. Anger seems to be the rule of the day without concern for law or order.
I’ve been praying for the families of those who lost loved ones. As a parent I can’t imagine the pain they are experiencing.
As a parent and grandparent, I can’t imagine the shock of losing a child; or as a husband to lose my spouse; or to lose a valued co-worker from the church.
As a pastor, I can’t imagine the task in front of the Covenant Pastor to be a source of comfort and lead his congregation through a tragedy such as this. But when you add to this the fact that his own daughter was one of the victims, it simply becomes an impossible situation and a mountain that cannot be overcome.
To be sure, it’s a difficult time for many folks. And there seems to be no answer.
Does evil win? Is the effort we are making to live godly lives worth it?
These questions are not new. As a matter of fact, David had to deal with these same questions in his own life.
This prompted him to write Psalm 37. It was written to signal the security of those who believed, but also to signal the insecurity of those who were evil.
Sometimes we forget that evil was defeated when Jesus was crucified and resurrected. What we see today as evil, is simply a last ditch effort on the part of hell to try and regain a foothold.
And to be honest, there are times when it feels as if it may be working, doesn’t it?
Listen to the first 11 verses of Psalm 37:
“Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; {2} for like grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. {3} Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. {4} Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. {5} Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: {6} He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. {7} Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. {8} Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. {9} For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. {10} A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. {11} But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”
I know it’s not easy. God never promised easy. He promised to be faithful to His Word; He promised to deliver those who love Him from all afflictions; He promised to be near to the brokenhearted; and He promised that He had overcome the world and its evil ways.
We need to live well; live smart; and live according to the way of God and not the ways of this world.
In Pursuit! 