REsponding to the activiities of the wicked.
Responding to the Activities of the Wicked
Today’s reading: Psalm 36-40
Today’s Devotional: Psalm 37
“Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious towards wrongdoers…trust in the lord and do God.”
How do we live wisely and righteously in a crooked generation? We live in a divided and conflicting world. Look at any news source, and you see a world where people demonize those who disagree with them. This is especially evident in the last few years as people are divided not only along political lines, but also upon conflicting worldviews. As Christians, it is easy to get caught up in the rhetoric where we become fearful and agitated because the morality of the Bible is not only being rejected by our culture, but our society is increasingly becoming hostile towards biblical morality.
David begins with an exhortation to guard our attitude towards those who reject God. In light of the prosperity of the wicked and the rejection of God and his moral law, we can easily become adversely affected by their popularity. We become angry when the wicked gain power and prestige and cause the suffering of others. Instead of leading in righteousness and caring for the people they lead, they abuse their power and care only for their own agenda.
In an angry world, the one thing we should not give in to is anger. We are not to give in to hatred, bitterness, and resentment. If few do, then we become the very people that we condemn (verse 8-9). Instead, we are to focus upon God and delight in him. In a world that is filled with unrighteousness, we are to live in obedience to God’s word. When we become focused on the evildoer and become angry or jealous of them, it distracts us from our life of obedience to God and from our trust in God’s sovereign affairs over the course of history and the activities of man. When the wicked seem to be carrying out their wicked schemes unabated, we need to remember that it will be short-lived. God will not let the wicked go unpunished. While the wicked believe they can throw off the restraints of God’s moral law, God laughs in response (vs 12-13). God will bring judgment upon sin, and he will destroy their evils.
Thus, when fretting about the activities of the wicked, we need to examine our own lives to make sure that we are living in obedience to God. We do not need to agonize over the evil because they will only flourish for a time, and then God will bring judgment upon them. The question we must ask is this: “Were we walking in obedience to God and delighting in his ways? Are we departing from evil and doing good?” We do not need to worry about what will happen today or tomorrow, nor do we need to worry about the activities of the wicked. When we are living in obedience to God, we have the assurance that God will not only judge sin, but he will deliver the righteous. When God’s law is in our hearts, we will not slip (31). The psalmist reminds us that the most crucial question is not what the wicked are doing, but what we are doing. Are we walking in obedience to God? “But transgressors will be altogether destroyed…but the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord.” (vs 38-39).
Today’s reading: Psalm 36-40
Today’s Devotional: Psalm 37
“Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious towards wrongdoers…trust in the lord and do God.”
How do we live wisely and righteously in a crooked generation? We live in a divided and conflicting world. Look at any news source, and you see a world where people demonize those who disagree with them. This is especially evident in the last few years as people are divided not only along political lines, but also upon conflicting worldviews. As Christians, it is easy to get caught up in the rhetoric where we become fearful and agitated because the morality of the Bible is not only being rejected by our culture, but our society is increasingly becoming hostile towards biblical morality.
David begins with an exhortation to guard our attitude towards those who reject God. In light of the prosperity of the wicked and the rejection of God and his moral law, we can easily become adversely affected by their popularity. We become angry when the wicked gain power and prestige and cause the suffering of others. Instead of leading in righteousness and caring for the people they lead, they abuse their power and care only for their own agenda.
In an angry world, the one thing we should not give in to is anger. We are not to give in to hatred, bitterness, and resentment. If few do, then we become the very people that we condemn (verse 8-9). Instead, we are to focus upon God and delight in him. In a world that is filled with unrighteousness, we are to live in obedience to God’s word. When we become focused on the evildoer and become angry or jealous of them, it distracts us from our life of obedience to God and from our trust in God’s sovereign affairs over the course of history and the activities of man. When the wicked seem to be carrying out their wicked schemes unabated, we need to remember that it will be short-lived. God will not let the wicked go unpunished. While the wicked believe they can throw off the restraints of God’s moral law, God laughs in response (vs 12-13). God will bring judgment upon sin, and he will destroy their evils.
Thus, when fretting about the activities of the wicked, we need to examine our own lives to make sure that we are living in obedience to God. We do not need to agonize over the evil because they will only flourish for a time, and then God will bring judgment upon them. The question we must ask is this: “Were we walking in obedience to God and delighting in his ways? Are we departing from evil and doing good?” We do not need to worry about what will happen today or tomorrow, nor do we need to worry about the activities of the wicked. When we are living in obedience to God, we have the assurance that God will not only judge sin, but he will deliver the righteous. When God’s law is in our hearts, we will not slip (31). The psalmist reminds us that the most crucial question is not what the wicked are doing, but what we are doing. Are we walking in obedience to God? “But transgressors will be altogether destroyed…but the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord.” (vs 38-39).
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