How Sneaky IS Evil?

When evil is permitted to rule unrestrained, what is held in high esteem and cherished will ultimately be destroyed. Evil undermines a lifestyle that looks beyond oneself to the rights and needs of others. Evil gives birth to extreme self-centeredness, a perception that other people are worthwhile only as they serve evil’s purpose. 

Evil does not distort truth completely, but enough to deceive those influenced by the distortions. Terrorists are experts in using bits of truth to convince followers to take up evil’s ideology and goals. Evil darkens the heart and mind to the point where life has room only for the fulfillment of wicked deeds and objectives.

Evil is comprised of just enough half-truths to convince those who would stand against it to look the other way. Christians dedicated to serving the Lord must be on guard, so they will not be lured into evil. The Holy Spirit keeps a constant vigil to guard and guide us. Carefully listen to God's warnings and reject evil in every shape and form.  

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Deceit fills hearts that are plotting for evil; joy fills hearts that are planning for good!

~Proverbs 12:20 The Living Bible

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

~1 Corinthians 10:13 The Message

Healing Rays of the Son

Without exception, we’re prone to forget that God hates every aspect of evil. He knows how destructive it is for those who develop a tolerance for it. One feature of human nature is our adaptability to evil, even while knowing it will result in hardship and suffering. So, avoid developing a tolerance for evil and doers of evil.

God expects us to develop an attitude of avoidance for evil and evildoers regardless of their appearance and promise. Tolerance for evil and love for God are incompatible. Proverbs 8:13 makes it clear that to "fear the Lord is to hate evil". When confronted with evil, remember God will provide a way to escape.

Malachi 4:2 gives God's response to evil. "Surely the day is coming when all evildoers will be consumed by fire like straw in a furnace. But for you who revere my name, my saving power shall rise on you like the sun with its healing rays." That promise is for those who refuse to give evil a place in their lives.  

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Never let yourself think you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong.

~Proverbs 3:7 Good News Bible

Help me, Lord, to keep my mouth shut and my lips sealed. Take away my lust for evil things; don’t let me want to be with sinners, doing what they do, sharing their delicacies.

~Psalm 141:3-4 The Living Bible

An Unwelcomed Knock

When tragedy arrives at our doorstep, self-examination is a first step for managing its impact. Unexpected tragedy creates fear and anxiety in addition to anger and sadness. These emotions initiate a search for answers to tough questions. While God allows evil to exist, we are responsible for its pervasiveness in our lives.  

          When evil activates a crisis that shocks a person or family to its core, it demonstrates how negligent we’ve become in believing we are outside evil’s reach. Tragedy perpetrated by evil calls into question exactly what we value. Our personal choices provide evidence that what we believe is either acceptable or unacceptable, good or evil.

          Evil attitudes and behaviors are noticed by God, as Judges 2:11 confirms. "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshiping other gods. They provoked the Lord to anger, so he withdrew his protection and caused them to be in great distress." God honors your faithfulness and will strengthen your will to remain faithful.  

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Indeed, I do not do the good things that I want to do, but I do practice the evil things that I do not want to do. But if I do the things that I do not want to do, it is really not I that am doing these things, but it is sin which has its home within me…Wretched man that I am! Who can save me from this deadly lower nature? Christ our Lord!

~Romans 7:19-21, 24 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

Tragedy: A Bridge to New Life

When Joseph’s brothers sold him to slave traders going to Egypt, he had every right to be obsessed with hatred. Self-pity, a form of self-hatred, could have engulfed him. His mother had died when he was a child. Now he was separated from his father, his home, and all that was familiar. So, hate for his brothers would have been understandable. 

 

People who are obsessed with hatred may hate God and blame him for the evils that suddenly appear in their daily lives. However, anger is different from hatred, and God permits anger to be expressed toward himself. On the other hand, hatred projects defiance and arrogance that denounces and rejects the love of God.

          Joseph refused to permit hurt and anger to evolve into hatred. He instinctively knew it would prevent him from healing. He opened his mind to opportunities God placed before him. His faith held on to the belief that God could bring about a chance for a new life to be born from tragedy. Ask God for faith to believe that passionately. 

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Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath. Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time.

~Psalm 34:17-19 The Message

Prevent Hatred's Grip

The fact that hatred brings destruction into the world is indisputable. Unchecked hatred is a satanic force that creates atrocities for all within its influence. Joost A. M. Meerloo, in his book The Rape of the Mind, warned that “Hatred for outsiders deflects the hate and aggression each person feels toward his own group or himself. The more fear there is in a society, the more need there is for an internal scapegoat and external enemy."

Meerloo makes it clear that hatred felt toward oneself and one’s own people is acted out on other selected enemies. Adolf Hitler hated all Jewish people and incompetent people in Germany and the world. These people became his enemies. Hitler’s own feelings of inferiority gave birth to self-hatred, then hatred for others.

To prevent hatred from getting a grip, understand that God did not create you for hatred, but to love justice and do what is right in his sight. The Psalmist reminds us that God punishes the wicked by their own snares. You can trust him to do what is right and just.  

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Fear of man is a dangerous trap; but to trust in God means safety.

~Proverbs 29:25 The Living Bible

God keeps every promise he makes. He is like a shield for all who seek his protection.

~Proverbs 30:5 Good News Bible

See how wicked people think up evil; they plan trouble and practice deception. But in the traps they set for others, they themselves get caught. So they are punished by their own evil and are hurt by their own violence.

~Psalm 7:14-16 Good News Bible

Inferiority: Fuel for the Fire of Hate

Hate is a devastatingly evil force whose objective is to create unimaginable destruction and suffering. It's difficult to accept that someone could hate you to this degree. Joseph refused to believe his brothers hated him, so he naively made himself vulnerable to their hatred. Evil, an extension of hatred, avenges itself in ways that create devastation. 

          Hate is connected to some form of personal loss. Joseph was his father's favorite, which intensified hatred from his older brothers. Joseph was unusually handsome in addition to being exceptionally intelligent, which had been nurtured by Jacob, the boys’ father. Resentment cradled in hatred flowed from Joseph’s siblings.   

          Hatred is fueled by feelings of inferiority. No accomplishment generated by hatred ever diminishes inferiority. Hatred is diminished by accepting our own giftedness and the blessings it can be to others. As hard as it is to thank God for that giftedness and pray that it be devoted to God’s purpose, it is essential to do so. Hatred is diminished by the presence of God’s love. 

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Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

~Proverbs 10:12 New International Version

As God gave me His gift of love for every one or you, I tell you, don’t think too highly of yourselves, but take a sane view of yourselves, everyone according to the amount of faith God gave you…We have gifts that are different according to what His love gave us…Love sincerely. Hate evil; cling to what is good. Love one another tenderly as fellow Christians. Outdo one another in showing respect.

~Romans 12:3, 6, 9-10 Beck -- New Testament in the Language of Today

Devastated and Desperate...but Not Alone

What Joseph's brothers did to him was evil and confirms that evil existed then as it does now. We're surprised when evil disrupts or destroys the foundation upon which we’ve anchored our lives. Whatever good there is to do, the enemy delights in sabotaging that good.

Joseph’s brothers hated him and determined to destroy his peace and security. Joseph surely felt excruciatingly alone as he was forced to leave his home and family. His brothers arrogantly seized the special coat their father had made for Joseph, so he had nothing to hold on to. 

Imagine the desperation Joseph felt as he faced an uncertain future. The enormity of the changes he endured must have been devastating. Yet his faith in Jehovah God sustained him during the dark days of fear and desperation. Psalm 119 portrays that faith. “Keep me far away from every wrong, O God, and help me obey your laws for I choose to do right.” That can be your hope and choice as you go toward an uncertain future. 

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But now, God’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end — Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior.”

~ISAIAH 43:1-3a The Message

Upended by Tragedy!

Tragedy arouses feelings of desperation and bewilderment, as the anchors that have kept us safe appear to be swept away. William Burroughs in his book, The Western Lands, noted that “abrupt change can dislodge the belief our world is safe while questioning the legitimacy of our entire belief system.”

When Jacob had to face the death of Joseph, his favorite son, his grief was so intense he felt he would die. He was totally unprepared for this tragedy. When tragedy personally strikes us, enormous energy is absorbed to help us cope because our survival appears to be in jeopardy.

Tragedy often demands changes we’re not ready to make. The writer of Psalm 119 reveals his feelings of desperation and the need for comfort. "I am completely discouraged and lie in dust. Revive and encourage me with your word, O Lord, for my heart is heavy with sorrow. I will cling to your commands and follow them closely." God's word will give you comfort and hope when you face tragedy. 

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Let us praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of every comfort. He comforts us in all our suffering to make us able to comfort others in all their suffering with the same comfort with which God comforts us.

~2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 Beck – New Testament in the Language of Today

When Life Unravels Overnight...

When tragedy invades our lives, our initial response may be disbelief. Our whole being may experience an unraveling of the thread that holds our life together. Feelings of fear can crush feelings of hope for the future.   

          When hate prompted Joseph's brothers to sell him as a slave, his world changed overnight. He had never been away from the safety and predictability of his home. Now feelings of fear and abandonment saturated his life.

          Grief was designed by God to help us cope with tragedy and great loss. Each stage of grief helps us cope until we can face the ultimate significance of change and sorrow. Complete healing may seem out of sight. Even so, you can ask God for help found in Psalm 119. "Bless me with life, O God, so that I can continue to obey you. Speak to my heart that I will know you are present with me at this moment. I am but a pilgrim here on earth and I need you to guide my life." Let this be your prayer right now.  

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The thought of my pain, my homelessness is bitter poison. I think of it constantly and my spirit is depressed. Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing. The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue. Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.

~LAMENTATIONS 3:19-24 Good News Bible

Signs of Trouble – Heads Up!

Some people appear to live a trouble-free existence, but let me assure you that no one is that fortunate. However, some individuals learn to manage trouble instead of allowing problems to control them. Proverbs 11:6 informs us that a "righteous man is rescued from trouble" because a righteous person has the option of responding differently. 

People who have Jesus have integrity that guides them when troubles appear. Cruel people ask for trouble because integrity and godliness are not a guiding force in their lives. A righteous person is rescued from trouble when God is present to prevent their ruination. 

When the pressures of trouble are coming on hard and fast, God’s word from Psalm 119 will prevent you from collapsing and giving up. “I'm single-minded in pursuit of you, O Lord. Please train me in the ways of wise living so I will not miss the road signs you post for me. I trust the promises you’ve placed in my heart, so I won't sin against you.” Jesus is your very present help in times of trouble.  

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Do not be afraid – I am with you! I am your God – let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect you and save you.

~ISAIAH 41:10 Good News Bible

Stay the Course with Steady Steps

Troubles can be aggravating and discouraging. There are times when it seems the only solution is to run away. Everyone has done that, if only by pretending trouble does not exist even when it faces them head on. Focusing on trouble with an unhealthy attitude can create unexpected problems. 

 

          Getting rid of Joseph by selling him as a slave appeared to be the best solution for his brothers. They would be free of the recipient of their hatred, yet not be free from the lies they had to tell their father. They set a trap for themselves because Proverbs 11:17 warns that whoever pursues evil finds death.

          God has a better technique for managing troubles of any magnitude. Listen to Psalm 119: "Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping the course you set for me; then I'll never regret comparing my life with your guidance. I thank you for speaking from your heart to mine because I desire to learn your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me, O Lord."  Will you do that?

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Since we have such a huge crowd of people of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up, and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.

~HEBREWS 12:1 The Living Bible

Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.

~PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14 Good News Bible

Managing the Falling Rain

Managing trouble is a life-long task. The rain falls on the just and unjust, the righteous and evil people. However, it’s possible to invite troubles by the lifestyle you choose to live. Trouble does not mean God has withdrawn his blessings or protection from you, but when trouble comes, he will help you manage and conquer it.  

          When Joseph flaunted his favorite-child status before his brothers, he encouraged their hatred. By harboring hatred, Joseph's brothers acted out in ways they would come to regret. Consumed by hatred, they lost their objectivity, so the ability to ask God for tolerance and insight was out of the question. 

Listen to Psalm 119 from The Message. These words will help you manage trouble. "You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right – you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; and now you expect us to live it," and we are thankful. Are you?

               

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For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

~MATTHEW 5:45b The Living Bible

But I will sing about your strength every morning. I will sing aloud of your constant love. You have been a refuge for me, a shelter in my time of trouble.

~PSALM 59:16 Good News Bible

Followed by Troubles

Trouble can be unpredictable. So, it was with Joseph as he went looking for his brothers who were tending the family’s livestock. These jealous, angry brothers stripped Joseph of the coat their father had given him that made him look and feel like a prince. These hateful, angry brothers threw Joseph into a pit to wait for an opportune time to kill him.

Judah, the older brother, convinced the others to consider another option. A caravan going to Egypt was coming their way, so they sold Joseph for twenty shekels of silver, between $200 to $600. Troubles and opportunity would follow Joseph as he left his childhood and family behind.

In days of trouble and change, Psalm 46 is reassuring. "God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Therefore, I will not fear though the earth be removed, and the mountains fall into the midst of the sea.” No matter how desperate you feel, God is greater than your troubles and will be an ever-present help to you.  

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God is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help, no matter how desperate the trouble.

~NAHUM 1:7 The Message 

Hatred: Favoritism's Fallout

It all started as a normal day.  A young brother was sent to check on his older brothers so their father could be assured everything was okay. The older brothers were envious of Joseph for he was their father’s favorite. To make matters worse, their father Jacob had given Joseph an expensive coat that clearly set him apart from his older brothers.   

 

It never occurred to Joseph as he left home that morning that this would be the last time he would see his home. When his brothers saw Joseph coming, the extent of their hatred and bitterness is recorded in Genesis 37:19. "Here comes that dreamer. Let’s kill him and say some ferocious animal devoured him. Then what will become of his dreams."

Thank God one of the brothers was mature enough to interject some sensibility into the situation. No matter how justifiable your anger and hatred may seem, God will give you an alternate way to respond to save you from the disaster hatred creates. Your responsibility is to listen and act according to the message and help that God sends to you.  

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When his brothers realized that their father loved him more than them, they grew to hate him – they wouldn’t even speak to him.

~GENESIS 37:4 The Message

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, practice loving your enemies and praying for your persecutors, to prove that you are children of your Father in heaven…”

~MATTHEW 5:43-45a Williams