In the Midst of Evil

"But as for me,

I watch in hope for the LORD,

I wait for God my Savior;

my God will hear me."

Micah 7:7

Leaders are caught in their lies and deception.  Young boys and girls look up to their favorite sports figure only to find that their hero has been cheating all these years.  Violence is a way of life for many.  It means nothing for some to turn their backs on the one they vowed to stay with for better or for worse and stab them in the back.  Judges are taking bribes while politicians can't be trusted.  Homes have been transformed from safe havens to war zones.  Evil is everywhere around me.

It would be easy for me to throw in the towel and proclaim, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"  It is encouraging to know, however, that I am not alone in my dilemma.  Many other believers throughout the ages have lived in dark times and have stood strong.  Micah was a prophet who lived during the time of Isaiah, about 150 years before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.  God's people had forsaken Him and turned to their own wicked ways.  Even as Micah listed all the wrongs that people were caught up in, he proclaimed that He would not fall into those same traps.  Instead, he purposefully declared his allegiance to God.  

I, too, can take a stand as Micah did.  I can build my life on the solid rock of Jesus.  It may not be easy; but it is possible.  Others have done it. . . .

Focus

Her husband loved her and that was of some consolation.  He was good to her, giving her twice as much food as he gave to his other wife.  But that could hardly make up for the fact that her womb remained closed.  After all these years, all she wanted was a child.  To become a mother was her heart's desire.

It would have been easy for Hannah to grow old and bitter, forming a hard shell to protect her tender heart from the cruelty of Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah, her beloved husband.  Instead, she chose to focus on the Lord as her salvation, the answer to her questions and the solution to her problem.  At the temple one day, she poured her heart out to the Lord with such abandon and passion that Eli the priest thought she was drunk.  Never mind, she thought, for I know my God will answer my prayers.  

He did answer Hanna's prayers, giving her a son named Samuel who became a great man of God.  Hannah had put all of her eggs in one basket.  She placed all her trust and hope in God, knowing that He was the only one who could grant such a request.  She did as Isaiah would later say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us."  (Isaiah 25:9)

Keeping my eyes on God helps to combat worry as Jesus so aptly described to his followers in His so-called Sermon on the Mount.  He said, "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)  I can trust God to supply all my needs when I place my full hope in Him.

If I proclaim Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, my words mean nothing if I don't focus on Him as the solution to all of my problems.

Acknowledgement

He did everything he could to save his people from the invaders.  He paid a tribute, stripping the Temple of the LORD of all it's gold and giving it to the enemy king, hoping to appease him and avoid invasion.  Instead, as many evil men are prone to do, the ruler went back on his word and went forward with his plans to attack the people of God.  

Hezekiah made physical preparations, blocking all the springs and fortifying the walls and towers circling the city.  Then, he went about encouraging the people with the truth of their real salvation.  He said, "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.  With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles."  (2 Chronicles 32:7-8)

King Hezekiah knew that God is sovereign and that no one would be able to defeat his people unless it was approved by God. When He tried to do things the diplomatic way it did not work because it wasn't sanctioned by God.  Knowing that God controls the "when" and the "what" means that I can trust Him even when the "how" is unclear to me. 

When the test comes back positive, I can wait on Him to get me through the hard days to come, knowing that He has gone before me.  

If tragedy hits and I lose all my worldly possessions, I can remember that God's dominion is still intact.  I can say with confidence as David did, "He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." (Psalm 62:2)

For the times when it seems I can count on no one else, I can rely on the One who never changes and on the one Whose love from which no circumstance can separate me. 

Life is filled with situations, people and heartbreak that seem to overshadow God.  But as Oswald Chambers said, "The saint realizes that it is God Who engineers circumstances, consequently there is no whine, but a reckless abandon to Jesus."

Labeling myself as a follower of Christ in a dark world means I will acknowledge Him as sovereign even in the face of insurmountable odds. 

Faith

They lived under the harsh task master of slavery for 430 years.  It was never their destiny to live such a difficult, shackled life; or so they thought.  They were God's chosen people, intended for greatness, not for the rigors of brick-making as the kingdom of another was built on their own backs.  They knew that God had not abandoned them.

The Israelites suffered under the heavy hand of the Egyptian task-masters for many generations.  Even though it seemed all hope was lost, the people of God did not forget the Lord.  They knew that He heard their cries and would save them, in His time.

There are many times when I feel like all hope is lost.  Maybe friends and family members seem to never change their ways, continually hurting those around them.  Or it could be that my circumstances always seem to keep me down in the pits, never allowing me to rise from the hard times.  Sometimes I feel like I will never move forward, breaking the chains that bind me and hold me back.  Lord, how long must I wait?

God chose a man named Moses to save His people from the evil Egyptian oppressors, but it wasn't until he was 80 years of age that God called him to the task.  Things happen on God's timetable.  Just because I don't see any action taking place doesn't mean that God doesn't hear my cries.  He knows how I suffer, but His plan is always better than mine.  Trusting God means I know without a doubt that he hears my pleas.  My faith is not based on what I see, but on who I know God to be.

Staying true to God when everything around me seems to be falling means I will trust that He hears me and knows my circumstances. 

When I build my life on the Solid Rock, everything may fall apart around me, but I will stand strong on Him.  As the ground caves in near me, it helps for me to keep my eyes on Jesus, to remind myself of His power and control, and to remember that God always hears my cries.  In this way I can stand strong in the midst of evil.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can take a strong stand as Micah did.

When do focus on all the bad going on around me and lose hope?

How do I sometimes think that God doesn't know what I'm going through?