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

Pervasiveness of Evil: Guard Your Heart - Part 3

Evil has the capacity to invade every area of life, as it did for Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Human beings seem to have a propensity toward evil. Although we don't like to discuss it, it’s obvious that evil is a major contender for the heart and soul of every person.

Numbers 25 relates how Israel turned away from God and toward evil. Listen to The Living Bible. "While Israel was camped at Acacia, some of the young men began going to wild parties with the local Moabite girls. These girls invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods. Before long all of Israel was joining freely in the worship of Baal, and the anger of the Lord turned hot against them." Isn’t it amazing how the young people influenced the adults?

It's apparent that guarding one's heart and soul against evil is a lifetime endeavor. As you begin this new year, turn your heart, your soul, your behaviors, as well as your love and affection toward Christ Jesus. What better way to secure God’s blessings? Happy New Year.  

Pervasiveness of Evil: Guard Your Heart - Part 2

The predictability of evil’s being everywhere is undeniable to the point of evil’s being accepted as commonplace. Explicit sex in films and on T.V. is a prime example. Newscasts are so inundated with violence that we become numbed to its power and influence. Evil invades our belief system and cleverly begins to question our values and morals.

Initially President Richard Nixon’s highest aim was integrity for himself and his presidential office. Yet the dark side of himself and his advisers eventually gained power to the point of corruption and destruction.

Balaam, an Old Testament prophet, purposed to believe in God. Listen to his testimony. "How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced? Let me die the death of the righteous and may my end be like theirs." That sounds like a man of faith, but his dark side contaminated by evil upstaged his best intentions. How unfortunate.