Esther 8-10 / 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13 / Psalm 37:1-11 / Proverbs 21:23-24
I’ve talked a good bit about evil people, the craziness of our world and standing in faith instead of fear. And the world is still spinning out of control. However, the Father is not spinning out of control. He is firmly and calmly seated on His throne and fully in charge of everything that is happening. We can’t allow our hearts to be fearful based on what we see with our eyes; we must believe by faith that all will be well.
Psalm 37:1 Do not fret because of those who are evil.
Simple and to the point, this verse tells it like it is. I can certainly hear your questions and comments now. Yea, but evil people will always be here. We can’t guarantee our own safety. What if my family or I am harmed? What if my needs are not met? I totally understand these questions and comments, and I’m sure there are many others. I also will not pretend to have answers for you or for myself, but I know the One who does have answers.
Let’s first dive into a little more information from the verse in Psalm 37. What does it mean to fret? We must know what the word means so we can choose not to do it! I’ve always thought fret was referring to fear, but the meaning of the word hara (khaw-raw) from the Hebrew is to be angry with, to be incensed, or to heat oneself with vexation.
Vexation is the state of being annoyed, frustrated, or worried.
So, while fear is certainly a part of the definition of fret, it appears the meaning is more about anger, agitation, and frustration. And I have felt all of those emotions many times over my life, but especially the past several months. Frustration usually sets in when there is something happening around me that I have no control over.
I may be aware of and see injustices all around me, but many times there is absolutely nothing I can do to resolve the situations. Sometimes our legal system can step in and help, but many times apart from God’s intervention, the injustice will continue. There are too many injustices to name, besides I don’t want to head down a negative road by listing those here.
What about those who are evil? Who are they? They are literally people who produce injustice, evil, wickedness, violent deeds and wrong. We don’t all know people like this, but they do exist. It’s hard to fathom but there certainly are people in this world who love to do evil things just as much as we followers of Jesus love to do what is right.
We love what is right because of God’s Spirit in us: those who do evil love what is evil because of the spirit of the demonic in them. There is a remedy for that if the person is willing to be free.
I’m thinking of a verse from Romans 12:21 NLT that states Don’t let evil conquer you but conquer evil by doing good.
Repaying someone who has done evil to you will just continue the evil storyline, but when we return good for their evil, they will either change their minds or walk away; either response is a good one. I am not responsible for the way others behave; I am responsible only for my own behavior.
