July 6, 2026 - Response to Evil
- brooks16055
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Psalms 37:7-10 NIV
[7] Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. [8] Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. [9] For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. [10] A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
First off, I find it difficult to be still but to add to it wait patiently adds another level of difficulty. Waiting is an area God has really worked on me for but being still is a struggle. Now how about don't fret when evil succeeds. I have heard people comment on the way selfish, mean, and ungodly people seem to get everything they want. It's difficult to see that especially when you are trying to be a good person and you just can't get a break in one area or another. To be still and patient before the Lord when you see others prospering in evil schemes is different than doing nothing. I had a recent conversation about how evil practices that have become considered acceptable and even good or healthy have been successful because Christians have been quiet and complacent in the large scale. Reading these verses some might be tempted to think that to be still before the Lord means to do nothing. And when you read my comments that Christians have been complacent and quiet you might think that I mean we need to be protesting evil, confronting it and actively physically fight against it. But I think that this Psalm is saying so much more. When we see evil in the world prevailing our first action should not be to get upset, angry, stress out or complain. It should be to turn to God. Turn to God and be still before Him remembering that our future and hope is in eternity. When we respond in anger and lash out physically or verbally our actions are equally as evil as what we are condemning. We must be patiently waiting while we are here because there will not really be peace and freedom from evil until eternity. That's how we can get our hearts and minds right. We should not respond to the evil around us until we are God centered. When our mind is set on the things that really matter then God can better direct our hearts minds and actions. Maybe we do need to act. Speak up and bring something to light, but we will not do it properly if we don't seek God first. For example, we know of illegal immoral business practices that are leading to the success of a coworker. Our response needs to not focus on that person's success and our suffering as a result of it but to focus on the God. Come before Him in stillness reflect on eternity. Our time here is temporary, and God knows what is going on. Even if you never see anything change, in eternity the ungodly will not inherit the kingdom. That should turn our hearts to what is most important for the other person as well. Salvation. The only real answer to the problem of sin in anyone's life is Jesus. To look at that person as someone who is lost and a slave to sin, our desire for them should be salvation. It should color our response so that we are less likely to act out of anger and selfishness. We can then address the situation with a heart desiring to please God not serve our own self-interest. Only once our heart is rightly heavenly minded can we act without it being sinful. So, when we see evil things and people succeeding in the world the right response may be that we need to stand up to it. We might have to fight against it. But whether we are doing it sinfully or righteously is determined by hearts position. Is our heart still before the Lord and are we patiently looking at it through the eyes of eternity.
I wrote this yesterday and today this is the broadcast on Fous on the Family. In the first few minutes I have heard so many glimpses and connections to various posts of recent days as well as conversations that I have had. If you have not read many of the recent posts at least listen to this podcast.
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