For THINE is the kingdom

You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10)

With so many changes coming at rapid-fire succession around the world, we might want to crawl in a hole and just hide out until the dust settles, but that isn't God's plan. His plan is to protect the lives of his godly people - allowing them to be at peace in unsettling times. We may not realize just how much God wants his people to be 'at peace'. It begins with being at peace with him, one another, then the issues we face as humans on this earth. When that peace gets disturbed, we begin to allow all manner of doubts, untruth, and troubling thoughts to consume our minds, influence our emotions, and bring illness into our lives. Rather than fearing evil, we must learn to hate it without embracing its influence!

The power of the wicked is limited. We all need to hear that one and remember it whenever we are inundated on every side by the influences of evil around us. We cannot allow evil an inroad into our minds, for once we do that, we are certain to ride the emotional rollercoaster evil has prepared for us! While evil may seem to abound, God's goodness and protection is mightier than any influence of that evil. He protects us FROM evil. Remember the Lord's Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

When we pray this prayer, we are asking God to put a hedge of protection around our lives, a foundation of protection under our feet, and a covering of protection over our heads. We are trusting HIM to deliver us from all manner of evil. Why? For HIS is the kingdom and the power, and the glory! Nothing on this earth can overtake us when we seek God's best for our lives above all else. Make him truthfully the first, the last, and the only in your life and evil has no way into your life! Just sayin!

Following the right voice?

God is very powerful, but he does not hate people. He is very powerful, but he is also very wise.
He will not let evil people live. He brings justice to the poor. He watches over those who live right.
He lets them rule in high places. (Job 36:5-7)

There are times when we stand back in wonder, pondering how it is that evil can get such an advantage in this world. We might not see God's forces at work because the evil just seems to 'outdo' what we see God doing, but we can rest assured what we don't see is the legions God has moving to overtake evil! God is wise and we need to trust his timing. Sometimes evil abounds, but he still protects those who serve him and love him with their whole hearts.

God doesn't hate people, but people respond to evil's pull and influence sometimes more rapidly than they do God's beckoning call to abandon sin. It is easy to get caught up with the movement of the crowds and neglect to see there are some faithful servants of Christ standing back, pulling away, and standing strong against the current. They don't do that in their own power, but because the Lord God is within them. The ones following the crowds aren't listening for his voice, but they are hearing what they want to believe.

What we can count on is God's justice. He won't let evil prevail or go unpunished. In fact, he gives time for repentance, but he isn't going to resist the evil desires of one's own heart. Evil abounds because the people follow their own desires, form their beliefs on what some charismatic person says, and then the move ahead blindly. God's wisdom dictates we don't listen to any other voice than his - allowing his Word and his Spirit to be the things that form our beliefs.

God watches over those who live right. How do we make right choices? We learn to discern the voice of this world system from that of our Lord and Savior. We assess every word and action of those who ask us to follow them against the Word of God. We see if the life testimony aligns with the Word of God - if not, we reject the message. There will always be evil until Jesus comes again - so we must learn to identify its influence, stop listening to its voices, and trust his power to help us resist the urge to follow the wrong voices. Just sayin!

Hate Evil, Do Good

 Your love must be real. Hate what is evil. Do only what is good. Love each other in a way that makes you feel close like brothers and sisters. And give each other more honor than you give yourself. (Romans 12:9-10)

Sometimes it is way too easy to put on our 'public happy face' in the presence of what we know are unkind or evil actions, going about life as though all things within our life were wonderful all of the time, all the while struggling on the inside to just keep it together. The 'public happy face' fools no one, especially God. The more ingenuine we are with each other, the longer it will take for us to realize the healing we need so desperately require as a society. Real love for one another doesn't require the 'public happy face' to be worn. In fact, real love displayed means we are 'real' with each other - even when life is a bit messy, or our 'perfection' isn't quite measuring up that day, and evil seems to be gaining ground around us. 

Two very important instructions are given to us in this passage: 1) Hate what is evil; and 2) Do only what is good. Those are pretty tall orders, but when we begin to shun the evil things that bring discord and angst into our lives, we begin to move toward what brings depth, purpose, and purity. We might not realize the power of evil around us, but we can trust God to help us overcome its pull within our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit residing within us. Loving one another in the manner God desires requires us being genuine, even when all we see around us seems a bit 'messy' and less than 'perfect'. 

The prophet Amos what the first to record this instruction: "Seek good, not evil, that you may live." (Amos 5:15) We will sow discord and live ingenuine lives when we allow justice to be perverted and evil to abound. Evil actually requires the mask because the mask is how it entices us into 'relationship' with it. Hate evil - move away from it with all haste. Nothing good comes when evil is allowed to abound. Genuine people, living life as a community of believers can stand against evil of all kinds. Sometimes it feels like we are going against the mainstream of behavior in our world, but that is why it is so important to have genuine relationships where we can find strength and renewal, allowing God to do the work of transforming us into a mighty army of warriors for good and not evil. Just sayin!

Planning to do good

Woody Allen always quipped, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." So true, isn't it? We plan one thing but find something totally different unfolding. Some fool-heartedly believe we are the makers of our own destiny. We are indeed the 'makers' of our own consequences, but are we really the makers of our own destiny? Plans change as life happens. Life choices bring either good, or not so good consequences. A consequence is just the outcome or 'output' of something that was 'input' earlier. You've likely heard the saying, "Garbage in - Garbage out". Nothing could be truer about the plans we conceive and then try to bring to fruition without God's oversight and intervention.

If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness. (Proverbs 14:22)

Plan to do evil - lose it all in the end. The consequences may not be immediate, but they will come eventually. Plan to do good - unfailing love and faithfulness are your reward. I don't know about you, but I would rather receive a reward more than a consequence! The more we plan, the less we focus on listening. Don't believe me? When was the last time you listened to someone else's input into YOUR plans? You might not realize it, but the more you plan one thing, the less likely you are to consider anything else. This isn't good when God is trying to get you to a place where he can move you into something new. Your 'plans' may actually keep you rooted in the present, unwilling to consider the freshness that will come when we move away from that plan and toward God's.

Planning to do good doesn't happen by accident. It is a purposeful action on our part, taken time and time again, with a set goal in mind. We want to embrace what God has for us, so we make him the first part of our day. We want to listen to what he has to say to us, so we get into his Word and ask him to show us what he has for us within those pages. We want to have meaningful relationships, so we make the effort to focus on them. If we want a meaningful relationship with God, we must focus on it, as well. Planning to do good means we make active choices all day long to keep God front and center in our lives. When we find our planning takes priority, we need to refocus so he is once again at the center of our plans. Just sayin!

Where is God in your life?

It was an Iranian poet by the name of Saadi who said, "I fear God and next to God, I mostly fear them that fear him not." Ponder that one for just a moment and it might ring true in your ears today. Those who don't fear God are all around us, oftentimes creating such upheaval and havoc that the world has no chance to be at rest for any length of time. Ray Comfort once said, "When men don't fear God, they give themselves to evil." There were no truer words spoken. 

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:8-10)

The lack of reverence some show toward our holy God is sometimes hard for me to understand. How can they look around at all that he created and not see his profound goodness? How can they strive for some 'goodness' in this world, but totally eliminate God from the mix? As with all decisions we make, the one we make about who should control our lives, guide our steps, and help with all our interactions in this world is one we each make on our own. We either choose God first, or we put something else in his place. 

This past week, I heard of a letter sent to some polling place announcing that the elections should be shut down because "we are in charge now". That could evoke some fear in others, but I just have to dig in a bit closer to God's protective refuge and allow his peace to permeate my soul. I have no idea who the 'we' are in that letter, but I know who the "I AM" is that controls my life. That is all I need to know - God is my one true place of safety - he is in control even when it seems like everything else around me is running a bit wonky.

Where is God in your life? If you immediately answer that with 'at the center of all I say and do', take just a moment to ask yourself, "Is he really?" Is there anything or any ideal you place first when things are running well in your life? Do you press into his presence and get into his Word as much when things are running smoothly and there is no conflict or pressure? Or do you find yourself pressing in a bit harder when the pressures mount and drifting a bit when they lessen? 

At the center of all conflict, you will find man has put God aside. He has chosen to put himself in God's place, if even for just a bit, so that his own will and determination might take center stage for a while. If man continues to do this long enough, he comes to believe HE is himself god! Choose to put God first in all your decisions and you will soon realize the folly of believing your own wisdom and strength could ever measure up to God's, much less surpass it! Just sayin!

Sin means judgment

I have read through scripture a number of times but have always struggled a bit with how God could 'get angry' and still be a merciful and kind God. My guess is that I am not alone in this quandary. What I have deduced is that God gets 'angry' when people sin - sin gets his anger stirred up. He is slow to anger, but that doesn't mean his patience can be taken for granted. God is the judge of human character - not us. We would like to sit in judgment on occasion, but we are not qualified to judge simply because we have this sin nature at work within each of us. 

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Whenever we think we are above the judgment of God, we are in a very troubling place. We may want to take revenge when we have been wronged, but God's concern will always be with the one who has done the wrong. Scripture reminds us that God is on the side of the innocent - he will judge the one who brings harm to them. Does that mean they will burn in the lake of fire? Not necessarily! It means he will bring enough 'discomfort' into their lives that they will be driven to make a decision to either repent of their sins or face that ultimate judgment.

The principle is that of harvesting whatever it is we sow. When we sow all manner of derision and discontent in this world, we can be assured that God's patience with us will someday come to an end. He will begin to bring 'judgment' into our lives. That means we may not always come out of things 'smelling rosy'. There may be consequences we did not intend when we set out on our sinful path. It isn't that God causes the consequences as much as it is that he doesn't stand in the way of them. Always keep in mind that God's intent is that no man should be separated from him - he provided grace for all who would seek it.

When we are engaged in wrongdoing, we can expect consequences. When we are seeking forgiveness for our wrongdoing, we can expect grace. God's plan is the latter - that we would seek his forgiveness and be restored to right relationship with him. All God asks is for us to take a close look at our own actions - if they don't align with his principles, we should repent. If they do, we should press in a little closer for sin's pull is always just around the corner. God doesn't like to judge, but he isn't going to allow sin to have the upper hand in our lives. Just sayin!

Life Hack #20 - Tether Carefully

Life Hack #20:

Don’t envy bad people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble. (Proverbs 24:1-2)

Bad people seem to be everywhere in this world. It seems like evil just runs rampant and we cannot seem to regain the ground we have lost. As we begin to ponder how easily things seem to be going for those bent on doing wrong, we almost wonder why things can't be that easy for us. It is amazing what we can get worked up over - stuff we probably don't want to be involved in anyway, but because we see some advantage to the other guy, we get ourselves all in a twitter about the issue. Evil people cannot help us stay on the right path - in fact, they might get us off it without even trying very hard - simply because our tendency is to follow what moves our feelings rather than what keeps our spirit on the up and up. To get caught up in the talk and the ruckus of their madness is to end up in a truly dangerous place.

The "soundness" of a safe foundation for our lives will keep us on the up and up. When God tells us not to envy bad people or even desire to be around them, it is because he doesn't want us to become corrupted by their way of thinking, acting, or speaking. They are "pot stirrers" and as such, they delight in getting people "stirred up", but not for the right reasons. It is good to get our "juices flowing" once in a while over some issues, but when we are just getting caught up in the manipulative plotting of those bent on making life a little more complicated, we might just do well to turn away and run as fast as we can.

We are warned to avoid those whose hearts plot evil - they have an end in mind which only furthers their intentions. We must evaluate their words. All their talk appears to gravitate toward the culmination of their plotted evil. We all know how deceptive words can be, so we cannot simply take words at face value, but they are one of the indicators that give us a sense of warning that this is not the crowd we want to be keeping company with. Why? The "herd effect" of this type of negativity and wayward bent is in view here. We get "caught up" in the way they are moving simply because they have a way of almost "stampeding" those around them. They take off running and those who don't realize the misdirection of their path can easily be caught up in the "running" and just follow suit.

God asks us to know the hearts of those we companion with and to not be swayed by the words playing on our emotions so that we get into motion without really thinking through what it is we are moving toward. Be certain as to the heart intentions of those we companion with - the principle taught in scripture of being "equally yoked". To be equally yoked, two oxen were placed side by side in the yoke. Together they plowed the field. If one was too strong, or given to being too lazy, that one would constantly be pulling against the other and the fields would not get plowed well. The farmer would work way too hard just controlling the animals to get the plowing done! When we "partner" with another in relationship, we often find ourselves "working" together. If there is too much stubbornness on one's part, or perhaps a propensity to allow another to do the work, one of us will become disillusioned with the other and begin to regret the choices we have made. Evaluating who it is we "step into the yoke" with will save us a lot of regret down the road. Just sayin!

The root of many evils

I Timothy 6:6-10 reminds us: "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." Let that one sink in for just a moment. We probably have all heard someone misquote this passage from time to time, telling us that money is the root of all evil. It is not what it says, though. It says the 'love of money' is A ROOT of all kinds of evils - one root, not the root - and not all evil, but many kinds of evils that can enter into a person's life.

Taking this apart, Paul is really saying godly content is to be desired - to be satisfied and appreciative with the 'basics' of life - such as food and clothing. To desire more is not sinful, but to desire or crave more and more can lead us down a destructive path - one that allows the root of discontentment to take root. The desire for more can sometimes be senseless and lead us into harmful pathways. Take for example a desire to live outside of our budget - to make purchases that must be placed upon credit because we simply cannot afford them. Sometimes we need to put something on credit, such as a visit to an emergency room for much needed treatment. This is not what is meant here - but rather to buy that 75-inch TV on credit card when the 55-inch one we have is working just fine. We wanted 'better' or 'bigger' and that is something that can lead us down a destructive or harmful path. 

If we read on in this same chapter, Paul tells us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Why? These are the things that keep us from being caught up in the 'more and more' syndrome. We learn to seek first righteousness (things and activities that lead to right living) - then there will be great contentment with the things God brings into our lives. We pursue godliness and faith because they are a natural outcome when we are putting God first in our lives. We enjoy deeper aspects of God's love as we keep him first in our lives and this leads us into places of 'surety' of foundation - steadfastness in his ways. In turn, we begin to live in such a way that our actions are 'gentle' and 'kind'. 

Paul wasn't telling us it is wrong to desire a new car - but to focus so intently on getting it at the cost of godliness and contentment may just open the door to greater evils in our lives. Satisfaction is not the result of being full - it is the result of learning how to curb our desires. The desire for 'more' is not wrong - as long as the 'more' we desire is more of God's character in our lives. Just sayin!

GOOD DAY ALL

Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you’re worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he’s asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. (I Peter3:8b)

How many of us actually wake up on the side of the bed that has us wishing that only BAD things will come into our day? I daresay if this were the case, most of us would get a new bed! We wake up hoping for the day to bring us GOOD things, don't we? 😁We want our day to be filled to overflowing with GOOD - so shouldn't we be listening to what God says will actually produce GOOD things in our day?

It begins with us - not the bed! We begin by paying close attention our 👄. We don't start the day with negative words - words that actually reek of evil intent and unkind motives. We choose to speak words that will uplift, encourage, and even create a sense of peace in our homes. Those words begin with us - as we look at our disheveled selves in the mirror each day - then they continue as we engage with others throughout our daily endeavors.

Cultivate good - snub evil. That is a pretty tall order when you get right down to it. Cultivation requires preparing the ground so it is ready to bear a good harvest. A harvest of GOOD in our day doesn't happen by accident - there is some forethought and effort. We plan for good by avoiding all things on the other side of good - evil intent, hurtful words, unkind actions, 😈 corrupt speech, malicious gossip - to name just a few.

Run after ☮ for all it's worth. There is something about those who pursue peace that is kind of contagious. It is like a magnet that draws others in and holds their attention. Why? Peace is so much in demand, yet most have no clue how to achieve it for themselves - much less do they understand how Christ produces this sense of calm, assurance, and trust within each of us. 

Today is full of possibilities, but only those who truly take action to see them fulfilled will take note of them in their lives. Those were all action words we looked at today - speak, cultivate, avoid, run, pursue. All require us to be attentive, but they also require us to be engaged. We can be attentive without being engaged - take the first 👣 toward kindness today and see where it leads you. You could just be surprised by how much GOOD your day holds! Just sayin!

What type of planner are you?

Do not those who make sinful plans go the wrong way? Kindness and truth are for those who plan good. Proverbs 14:22 NLV Planning is a good thing - most would agree - but the wrong set of plans, even in the hands of a good man may not turn out right! Why? Good plans usually produce a better 'end result' than bad plans. Yet, the hands in which the plans are organized and carried out matter a whole lot, don't they? 

I am a novice wood-worker. Plans in my hands need to be very, very simply illustrated and the tools need to be quite basic. Yet, even with the simplest of plans, plainly laid out, I can mis-cut a piece of wood and end up with ends that don't match as they should. Why does this happen? It is usually because I didn't read the plans all that well! Good plans are only part of the end result - the guidance of the hands combined with the engaged mind go a long, long way toward producing a better result!

The same is true in our daily walk with Jesus. We get some pretty well-defined plans when we explore the Word of God, but in our hands, there can be some end results that 'vary' from the intended result! Why? We forgot to engage all the parts of our being behind the execution of those plans! We might have engaged our minds, but forgot to engage the heart. We perhaps engaged the heart, but the mind was elsewhere! The end result is far from what God intended by giving us those well-defined instructions! 

Put a little effort behind the plans and they turn out a little differently. Really study the plans well, then take 'ordered' and 'consistent' steps in executing those plans and see where the end results differ from when we didn't take such ordered and consistent steps. The plans matter, but the execution of those plans is equally important. The more we learn to take the right steps in a consistent manner, with the right focus and attentive engagement in the process, the more chance we have of the plans producing what they were intended to produce.

We can come up with some wild schemes in terms of what we believe will yield the right results in our lives, can we not? The wilder ones may have even managed to land us in quite a pickle from time to time. The plans were there, but the actual 'putting things into motion' didn't come until we engaged some or part of ourselves into the process. We 'get behind' the plans - then they are set in motion. We choose the first step, and often the timing of that first step is our choice. When we choose well, the steps are better ordered. When we keep choosing well, the steps become more consistent. The plans matter, but those plans are mere words until they are executed, my friends! Just sayin!

It doesn't have to hatch

Attitudes of heart that God absolutely despises are not a secret - he does everything in our power to let us know what to watch out for in our own lives and the lives of others. This morning, we will examine the heart that hatches evil plots. It is important to remember that scripture refers to the "heart" a lot - if there is repeated focus on anything in scripture, we are supposed to pay attention to what God says about it. We may not realize that this is really the seat of our emotions, the center of our personality and temperament - so no wonder God spends so much time trying to help us understand it. The part of us that is driven or controlled by emotional response is often the main thing that gets us into trouble - not that there was a temptation right there in our path! When emotions are out of control, we might just offer up a short prayer of quick deliverance so they will 'settle down', but there are other times when we simply allow them to spin on and on.

Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant,
a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

It is pretty safe to say that most of us (maybe even all of us) have had evil plots in mind at one time or another. Just remember this - you are not in this boat alone! We ALL go down 'thought paths' that we weren't supposed to travel, my friends. The thing God hates is the "hatching" of those thought plots - in other words, bring to fruition what has been preconceived in our minds. These plots, as they are called, are really pretty well thought out plans devised with the intention of hurting or harming another - seeing them fail, or even just stumble a little. Unfortunately, most of us would not cop a plea of "guilty" to this one. In fact, we'd probably say that we don't really think this one deserves much attention from us, but I want to challenge that 'plea' because I think we might just engage in this behavior a little more than we first realize.

God wants us to learn to live without needing to be the center of attention in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. There is danger in looking down our noses at others and God wants to keep us from that place of destructive judgmental attitude. Why? Because he knows it can lead to a whole lot of other destructive behaviors, such as a lying tongue and the actions of smothering the character of another! These seven things God is exposing to us in this passage build one upon the other. If we begin by laying a foundation correctly, the building that occurs on that foundation is solid. If the foundation is incorrectly structured, the building fails to meet the intended form and it will soon show signs of being 'structurally unsound'. So it is with our Christian character - start right, allowing God to work on our pride first, and we will begin to see our character take the form he desires.

When we are given to a prideful outlook on life, it is easy to "hatch evil plots" in our heart. The judgmental attitude that comes when we have a problem with pride is one that wants self to look good at ANY expense, even if it means we use methods that are not quite so respectable. Evil is really not understood well today. In fact, when you look up the word "evil" you will find that the first definition is something that is morally wrong or bad. God is reminding us that when our heart attitude is not aligned with him at the center, we make wrong choices and those choices will lead to our destruction. As we begin today, let's ask God to reveal our heart intentions. Are they bent on destructive behavior? If so, then it is definitely an opportunity for God to begin to show us how we can build again the foundations that will give us a solid character foundation that leads to morally right choices. Just sayin!

But this hurts....

I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. (Jeremiah 29:11 ERV)

We all start on new ventures with a little sense of apprehension, not sure of which way the events before us will unfold. We are open to something new, but also a little bit fearful that "new" will be harder than we might really want to experience. We don't always know the full depth of the chasms we will have to traverse, nor do we appreciate the full height of the hills we might come to find ourselves gazing outward upon. Yet, we begin.

Do we have to know the fullness of God's plans to trust him with our lives? I don't even think we are able to think things out to the fullest in our own finite thinking, so no, I don't think we need to know all God will do with what we are about to encounter. I do believe we need to trust he will not hurt us. I need to trust he will take whatever small hope I have and multiply it into the dynamic faith that will take me through what he has planned.

Having said that, let me deal with this feeling some might have of God not caring, or being a little "harsh" with them because they have gone through hard places in their lives. Hard places aren't always God's doing. Sometimes hard places are there because of our own doing, but most of the time they are there because evil exists in this world. We cannot live in a bubble - evil affects us all - some to a much higher degree than others.

If it is impossible to live without evil around us, what is possible? We can live without evil IN us. God's presence isn't going to take us out of evil, but it will help us to live in such a way evil doesn't gain an inroad into our lives. Some may ask how innocent people can be affected by evil - even those who know and trust God. God doesn't say we won't be in the path of evil intent, he tells us to trust him to give us the integrity to live upright in the midst of all manner of evil.

God's plans give us great reason to hope - for his plans are always for good in our lives. We might not understand how God can bring good out of tragedy, but as long as he remains our constant companion, he does. Just sayin!

Light is about him!

Everyone who does evil hates the light. They will not come to the light, because the light will show all the bad things they have done. But anyone who follows the true way comes to the light. Then the light will show that whatever they have done was done through God. (John 3:20-21 ERV)

I had almost missed the tiniest bit of truth in this passage this morning, but after reading it again, I caught it! What WE do isn't really us doing it when we are moving toward the light of God - it is him DOING within us whatever it is that is done in and through us. Little steps toward light are called obedience. All steps into the realm of obedience are making it possible for God to be working in and through us - it is us yielding to his love and trusting his direction, but it is him working in us through and through.

There are times when we all can observe evil around us - maybe even a little bit of it dwells in each of us on occasion, if we were to be entirely honest here. Evil intent and action on purpose is one thing - evil that comes out of us because we are feeling a little selfish at the moment, or hurt about something we had hoped would turn out differently is another. God is still in control of our lives and is drawing us back into the light - we just need to turn back toward him and find that the evil is soon dispelled by the light we begin facing full-on. Evil cannot dwell in the presence of light for it requires the realm of darkness to spread like wildfire.

Light has a way of drawing people in - unless evil is the intent of the heart. Whenever evil is at the core of a man's heart, light is a repulsive thing because it brings exposure. To move from darkness into light is possible, but it is not always comfortable to those who have made "evil actions" their pattern of life for a long time. Once light begins to become the "comfort zone" in which we live, we find that more and more of Christ comes through in all we do. Why? Because it is him working in us!

We can thank God for the light, but we can also thank him that it is him working in us while we are drawn into and living inside that light. We can count that he will do good things - dispelling all manner of evil within us simply because in the presence of diving light, evil has no home! Just sayin!

Branch or Root

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." (Henry David Thoreau) 

The branches of evil are easier to deal with than the root, making going after the root a task many will avoid simply because of how hard it is to discover and then deal with in an effective manner. There are a whole lot of harmful things in this day and age, but actually being aware of their harm is another thing. Evil has learned to mask itself in ways we don't easily recognize, making it harder than ever to get at the root of it in our society today. As Thoreau proposes, there are a lot of attempts to expose evil, but very little is actually being successful at permanently eradicating it. The same can be true in our own lives - for evil lurks in places we might not have even considered - places we don't like to look!

12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. 14 Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ERV)

If we want to deal with evil in our own lives, we follow the above instructions. If we want to do more than "hack away at" the branches of evil in our society today, we follow these same instructions. It begins within each of us and it then begins to affect the root from which evil is able to find effective growth. Consider this:

- We have been chosen. When we go to the grocery store, we have something in mind which we will prepare for our meal. As we make the rounds to the various shelves and display cases, we observe a wide variety of products all promising us "good stuff" inside. We "choose" the ones we want based on whatever it is we desire - the low fat if we are watching our calories, the low sodium if we are concerned with how much salt we get in our diet. Based upon our desire, we choose what we believe to be best. God has already chosen each of us - that means he has selected what he believes to be the best! He has plans for us - a use for each of us. As his chosen, we begin a journey to be rid of evil ourselves and then to be instruments of his grace to help others to be rid of evil themselves.

- Evil gets an inroad anytime we refuse to follow these instructions. When we allow anger to burn deep within, it leads to hatred, and eventually to bitter and disgusting displays of hurtful actions. Evil is best eradicated where true love exists. God's love cannot tolerate evil - and his love indwells us as his grace embraces us. Evil isn't going to just disappear - it is "loved out of us" by his constant love and mercy! Now, we live by this same means - loving the evil right out of others as God has loved it right out of us!

- The root of almost all evil has the richest ground for growth in the realm of our thoughts. Thinking needs to be transformed if evil is to no longer rule in our own lives. The peace of God is the very thing that transforms our thinking, in turn transforming our attitudes and actions. It is impossible to truly be embraced by the love of God and continue to think the same way we once thought. His love will transform our thinking, in turn transforming the "root" of all we say and do. Just sayin!

Stop the planting

The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous will stand. 

(Proverbs 12:7 ESV)

There are definitely times when I think, "What is this world coming to?"  It is as though the mess we are creating is just abounding, not getting any better. Now, don't get me wrong - I know who is in control of all this and who will win out in the end - but in the meantime, some can certainly manage to create just a bit more chaos and upset than is their fair share! Without sharing all the details, suffice it to say that our country is in a muddle where it comes to politics. The level of crime in my own hometown is multiplying rapidly, with some even joking that West Phoenix is becoming a little like L.A. when it comes to gun violence.  As long as there is chaos caused by man's wrong thoughts and intentions, we will always have some sort of evil at work in this world and that will leave some feeling a little less than comfortable or secure. Not one of God's children need feel this way, though - for he IS in control!

It was Francis Bacon who once said, "In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." It isn't that we "need" darkness to see light - but we definitely come to appreciate it. The other day I dropped a very small screw onto a very dark carpet where we were staying. Two young boys with eagle eyes, my daughter, and I scoured that carpet and surrounding floor. Not one of us could see that screw despite our careful exploration. The darkness of the carpet, combined with the dark color and small size of the screw made it almost impossible for us to discover the whereabouts of that tiny screw. What seemed like a small matter became a huge deal - what was lost needed to be found. In the operating room, if a needle is lost, we go to great lengths to locate it - despite the small size. Why? Even the small stuff has the potential to cause us great big problems later on!

Honestly, I think this is why we don't want to let the small stuff creep into our lives - so that it doesn't give way to bigger issues down the road. It is the smallest amount of anger that is allowed to fester into a big root of bitterness that will eventually bring more relational strife than we might consider "reconcilable". This is why we are to remain "current" in our relationships - dealing with each and every "wrong" that is perpetrated or sensed by another before the sun goes down. I am not always the best at this one myself, so what I am about to say applies to me, as well. There is more value in admitting we aren't being understood, or that another has been understood a certain way, than there is in just tucking that stuff away. The former helps us "remain current" while the latter lets us begin the work of nurturing the root of bitterness and resentment.

Once something takes root, it is much harder to deal with it than it is when it is in seed form. No matter what the seed may be, the real "impact" of the seed begins way below the surface. The seed isn't going to be much "threat" until it is given fertile ground and watered a little. To deal with all manner of evil in our world today, maybe our best tact is to not give it fertile ground! Just sayin!

Good vs. Evil

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. (Romans 6:12-14 NLT)

Something always exerts control - it is the nature of how things work. The "control" or force of gravity exerts the pull that keeps us from flying away from the surface of the earth into the oblivion of outer space. Oxygen controls the ability for human life to continue to exist on this planet, for without the availability of oxygen we'd all die. Weaker are consumed by stronger, simply because they can have a greater "control" over the outcome of the chase. If control is the issue, then we ask the next big question - what control governs or exerts the biggest force of restraining or directing influence over our lives? 

The answer to this could be as varied as there are human beings walking the surface of this earth right now, but in general there are probably just a couple of "forces" governing our lives - truly directing us one way or another. These are often referred to as the forces of good and evil. In old movies, it was depicted by some dark force against a lighter one - the cowboy bandit with the dark hat and clothes against the one with the lighter hat and clothes. As the dark force of evil would plot against the lighter one of good, even the music would play on in some mysterious way, building until there was a crescendo of furious noise as the two would clash upon the screen. As the "force of good" made gains, the music would change to depict that all was well once again.

We don't live in a world where evil always dresses in dark colors, though. At times it isn't as easy to see what is working against us and there isn't any ominously building music to warn of impending doom! We find ourselves smack-dab in the middle of darkness sometimes without realizing we entered that place - all because evil has a manipulative way of cleverly disguising itself! The forces still exist - good and evil - but the ever changing "mask" of evil may not always make it plain to us which force is pulling for control in our lives. There are some simple things we can recognize though - every controlling influence of evil is "demanding" - it wants what it doesn't have or what it isn't about to stop pursuing.

God's goodness is a powerful "force", as well, but it is not a "forceful" thing - it is gentle, patient, and loving. It pulls, but it doesn't manipulate. It guides, but it doesn't force its way into our lives. God's goodness isn't going to demand, but it beckons. We can often tell the difference in the force which is in control in our lives by the characteristics of that force's "pull". God's grace pulls us toward peace - not chaos. It persuades us with truth, not lies. It moves upon us in order to move into us as a welcomed guest, not as a demanding and manipulative one. We might do well to consider the "force" at work in our lives in terms of the influence it is exerting - for God's influence is first of all kind, gentle, and restorative. Evil's influence demands its own way, takes away rather than restores or builds up, and takes what it wants instead of waiting to be invited in. Just sayin!

But I don't understand it, God!

I know You can do everything; nothing You do can be foiled or frustrated. You asked, “Who is this that conceals counsel with empty words void of knowledge?” And now I see that I spoke of—but did not comprehend—great wonders that are beyond me. I didn’t know. You said, “Hear Me now, and I will speak. I’ll be asking the questions, and you will supply the answers.” Before I knew only what I had heard of You, but now I have seen You. Therefore I realize the truth: I disavow and mourn all I have said and repent in dust and ash. (Job 42:1-6 VOICE)

I don't believe any one of us is immune to a season of complaining once in a while, no matter how positive we attempt to live our lives the desire to complain is there. We might not understand something, see sense in a decision which was made, or even support it, and this emerges in a moment or season of complaint. Why? It is usually because we are disappointed, or maybe it is because we think we "knew better" or could have "done better". Sometimes rational thought does not enter into complaint, as with Job when he stood questioning his family's fate or the loss of all he had amassed. He didn't understand it, and this made his desire to complain surface a little. I don't think God wants us to live with a complaining type of mentality, never content or willing to accept what we receive, but I don't think he turns a deaf ear to our complaints either.

While we may not want to make a pattern or lifestyle out of complaining or finding fault in everything which doesn't seem to go as we planned or wanted, we don't have to fear God hearing our frustrations. He isn't put off by them - but he doesn't want us to dwell in that place too long. He wants us to get it out and move on - with his help, under his guidance, and with his strength. When we dwell there too long, we have a tendency to allow the complaint ushered because of some disappointment to escalate into a much deeper-seated sense of being "wronged" or "mistreated" or perhaps not "respected". We get a little bitter over the issue at hand and it begins to taint us toward resentment and anger over the situation.

If this occurs, we distance ourselves from truth just enough to continue to "nurse" our wounds over whatever frustration or disappointment first brought about this complaint in the first place. We magnify the issue until it takes center-stage in our lives and we begin to dwell on nothing other than whatever it is we see "wrong" in the matter. As God so aptly pointed out to Job, we don't always see things as they are, nor do we have the power within ourselves to change them even when we do. All that exists does so under God's watchful eye. All that occurs does so under his supervision. He isn't about to let one of his children fall into a trap, or walk away scathed by the issue. 

Some may ask if God "creates" evil - since evil seems to be at the root of some of the things we become upset with and enter our complaints over. Evil exists because of sin - but God's children don't have to participate in evil's actions. We do get affected by their "drama" though. We see the actions of evil evident all around us - simply because man is sinful and apart from God's grace, their actions will lean toward being rooted in evil on occasion. When this occurs, we can become quite "put off" by their actions - simply because we don't understand them, nor do we support them. God's desire is for us to rise above evil, allowing him to protect us, but when his protection doesn't seem to take the course we expected, do we complain?  Sometimes we do! We expected to never be affected by the evil and if we feel the effects, we kind of get our noses out of joint.

Instead of cursing evil, or standing in constant complaint over the manifest actions of evil, we would do well to bring our complaints to God - letting him know we don't understand it all, but trusting him to bring us through it in his grace. This may be all we can do, since we neither made the evil, nor do we understand it. Just sayin!

Turning away

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." (Albert Einstein)  There are all manner of "evil devices" man can concoct in his imagination - too many to list.  We all have our own list of "evil" we might pursue on occasion - things we do with malicious intent, that are destructive in nature, and downright hateful at times.  None of us is above evil - although we may want to believe we are, the "root" of evil is there in all of us - it just doesn't get fed as often as some others might feed theirs, so it is not as "openly evident".

Walk away from the evil things in the world—just leave them behind, and do what is right, and always seek peace and pursue it. (I Peter 3:11 VOICE)

To walk away from anything, we have to be aware it exists in the first place.  We also need to recognize walking away from anything means there has been some sort of "appeal" to that object in the first place.  I often window shop, not because I am on the look-out for anything new for myself or the home, but because it is interesting to see what the newest trends are in clothing, style, and household goods.  The purpose of the window display is to get you to come into the store, isn't it? The people who display the stuff in the windows don't do it because they have time on their hands - they want us to be intrigued by what we see and enter into the store. Why? They know if we make it inside the doors, we have a better chance of spending money there!  The problem comes when you don't need anything new - you are just window shopping and get lured in.  You didn't set out to purchase, but the lure of the window display took you past those double doors!  You did not simply walk away - there was a pull which drew you in!

The same is true with evil in this world - it is on display, cleverly masked at times, but designed to lure us into things and situations we would be best to leave undiscovered, untested, and undone!  As Einstein said all those years ago, it isn't the evil in the world that is the problem - it is the people who do nothing about it when they recognize it!  Evil exists everywhere - in everyone.  What we do with what we recognize is what makes the difference!  When we take the evil within each of us to the foot of the cross, asking for the grace of God to remove it far from us, we are responding to evil in a way which makes sense.  When we turn our backs on the evil within, or the evil resident in another, we are simply condoning it and allowing it to multiply!

I am not much for politics these days, especially since it seems to be so sensationalized and over-popularized in the media.  I won't slam one candidate for office over another. I won't even listen to their debates, rhetoric, and "political blustering".  Why?  I honestly believe if the media would just stop sensationalizing all this political banter, the candidates would be forced to finally expose their agendas, making it easier to choose the right one.  I am one person, so I won't change the course of the media outlets across this nation, but I won't give into the lure to draw me into all the political hype and hullabaloo, either!  I won't be lured inside the "double doors"!

God's plan is for us to walk away from evil - leave behind those things which really don't belong in our lives - things and attitudes which shouldn't have influence over our minds, hearts, or spirits.  Then we are to seek peace and always pursue it first and foremost.  As long as we are operating in this realm, the lure of the things on display won't have the influence they hoped to exert in our lives.  It is when we are roped into the "glamour" of the "window display" that we are likely to head down the path toward "buying into" the thing we most want to avoid.  As long as we ignore evil, it will continue to grow out of control all around us.  Evil closely resembles weeds in the garden - let them stay there long enough and they will become the dominant force in the garden!  Sometimes what we leave behind - untouched, undiscovered, and untested - is the very thing we needed to walk away from, escaping the pull of whatever is trying to lure us into its snare.  

What we turn toward is important.  If it is continuously the cross before us and the world behind us, the outcome is likely to be very different.  When we turn our back on one thing, we expose ourselves to something else.  We need to be certain whatever we expose ourselves to is not just another form of evil!  Just sayin!

Warning: I've been known to affect your "balance"!

Have you ever noticed how being in some crowds and doing what is right makes everyone in the crowd a little "off balance"?  It isn't that they cannot appreciate doing what is right, they just don't have the same enjoyment of doing what "isn't" right when someone is around who is consistent in doing what is right!  Equally so, doing what is wrong keeps everyone off balance, but lends an element of insecurity to the mix.  Why?  This thing we might term as "self-doubt" begins to enter into the mix when we see everyone doing one thing and we are doing something so totally different.  We begin to question the "validity" or "importance" of what we are doing - even when we know it to be the right thing to do! It is all because a little self-doubt enters into the mix - planted there by the actions of those around us who are pretty excited about doing something totally different than what we know to be right.  It is often the moment of truth which defines who we are at the core of our being - will we give into the self-doubt, or keep on "keeping on" in spite of it?

The Eternal prefers those who do good, but He condemns those who plot evil.  Doing what is wrong keeps everyone off balance and insecure, but those who do right will never be uprooted.  (Proverbs 12:2-3 VOICE)

Mother Teresa is quoted as saying:  "If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.  If you are honest, people may cheat you.  Be honest anyway.  If you find happiness, people may be jealous.  Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway.  Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.  Give your best anyway.  For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway."  She hits the nail squarely on the head, doesn't she?  It isn't about if we are right and they are wrong; or if we are wrong and they just might be right.  It is about how our Lord views each of our actions in the light of his purpose for our lives.  He is the one who defines our actions - not the good or bad of another's actions which we often use as a measuring stick by which we will "judge" our own.

Self-doubt is a powerful weapon.  It can be used to keep us all muddled up in confusion so we never take any action.  It can be used to stop us in our tracks, so we don't go any further. It has both a bad and good side, doesn't it?  When it is based on what our conscience knows to be true and we are clearly moving toward what our conscience senses to be wrong, it acts as a little bit of a "braking system" to help us from heading into the wrong action.  When it is based on what we might hear from others, in spite of what we know to be true, and that information paints a little picture of doubt with which we begin to question truth, it can become the thing which plays with our sense of right and wrong enough that we walk squarely into compromise.  Unfortunately, the benefits of self-doubt are often overshadowed by the dangers of self-doubt.

Remember how Christ came into a world where there was a mixture of people "ready" to receive him, watching and waiting for the appointed day of his coming?  There were also those who knew very little of his coming, simply because they had never heard of it in their homes, nor learned of it in their schools.  It isn't much different now, is it?  In the scheme of things, the "coming of Christ" into the lives of individuals is a thing not spoken of too much in our schools, and definitely not "studied" with intensity by many.  Some will see those who do good in the midst of all the evil of the day and will be drawn to the evidence of good they see within that individual. In turn, they begin to hear of the "coming of Christ" in that individual's life, and they are drawn into the place of desiring that experience themselves.  Some will see those who do good even in the midst of tremendous evil, and they will pull away, criticize, and look down upon that individual, simply because they are confounded by the goodness which lives deep inside that individual.

What makes the difference in these circumstances?  Many might think it is that the "good" wasn't good enough, or the evil was just too evil.  The truth of the matter is that hearts must be prepared to see the good in such a way that a spark of desire is created.  Sometimes evil just needs to be encountered by good so frequently that there begins to be a little "self-doubt" created by the frequency of the good they are seeing!  Rather than shying away from being the "good" in the midst of repeated evil, maybe we need to become the one who "sets off-balance" those who pursue evil by being the evidence of good so frequently that we create a little "lack of balance" in the evil surrounding us.  Just sayin!

Grace counters evil

If you have ever tried to "get even" with anyone, in either a good sense or a not so honorable sense, you know it can be difficult and sometimes quite defeating.  I know people who try to get even in the "good" sense of the word, always trying to repay each and every kindness someone does for them with another kindness.  It is like they cannot receive a blessing or be treated kindly without feeling like they "owe" someone something for that extended kindness or blessing.  The problem with living this way is that you never really allow anyone to be a blessing to you.  You are so busy trying to repay their kindness that you strip them of the joy of having been a blessing in your life.  On the other hand, to always be trying to get even in the negative sense of this term, you are living life with the idea revenge is your responsibility or privilege (right).  Let me just take a moment to caution us here - revenge is a dangerous piece of "thin ice" to tread upon!  It might look okay on the surface for us to pursue some sort of action against someone who we feel has wronged us, but just beneath the surface lies things that will entrap us and take us down in the process.  We need to be ever aware of this desire to "get even" because it can wreak havoc in our lives when we pursue that urge.

Dear friends, don’t try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says, “I am the one to take revenge and pay them back.” The Scriptures also say, “If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat. And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads.” Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good. (Romans 12:19-21 CEV)

By definition, an enemy is anyone we feel hatred toward, are engaged in fostering harmful designs against, or just treat in an antagonistic manner so as to bring harm or unpleasantness into their path. Taken that way, I think God wants us first to consider NOT having enemies and secondarily to consider allowing him to be the one to take revenge if revenge is truly the "medicine" someone needs to receive!  Treating anyone as an enemy emphasizes this idea of hostility - something definitely far removed from God's grace.  As we were living as part of this world and apart from Christ, we were "enemies" of God according to scripture (James 4:4).  As enemies of God, we were removed from his grace.  As soon as we said "yes" to Jesus, we were no longer enemies of God - no longer in a place of receiving God's judgment and condemnation.  Isn't that what an enemy receives - judgment and condemnation?  This might just be why God tells us it is not our place to have "enemies" or hold grudges.  He doesn't want us being the judge of others, or condemning them for their actions.

I have heard it said that enemies are made - they don't just happen across our path.  Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."  There is much truth to this thought - for transformation is what occurs when grace is allowed to be the "ruling force" of our relationships.  Enemies may not always be "made", because there are a lot of opposing forces in our lives which we didn't do much to "make". They are just part of living in a fallen world - a world given to self-pleasure, secret passions, and unknown evils galore.  We cannot always "predict" when an enemy will enter our path, nor when we will be tempted to label someone as an "enemy" in our lives because of some action or inaction on their part.  What we can do is count on God to help us extend grace when grace is needed the most, being the open arms of Christ to those who don't even know they have entered into a place where love abounds.

I think Martin Luther King, Jr., nailed it on the head when he said, "We must develop the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies."  Two important questions we can ask ourselves are whether we exhibit the ability to forgive in our lives and if we reveal love in the face of anything less than love.  The "ability" to forgive is the "capacity" to forgive - to extend grace way beyond where or when it may be "deserved".  If I had a 12 ounce water bottle in front of me right now and began pouring water into it, you'd all agree the "capacity" of the bottle is 12 ounces.  You may be surprised to realize that capacity is just a term which describes the ability to receive or contain anything.  It doesn't mean we never "overflow" with whatever is put into us - it just means we have the ability to receive it!  In this sense, we can either receive negativity and anger, allowing bitterness to be what is contained within, or we can release and allow grace to be the overflowing energy from which we live our lives.

Grace is a powerful word, but it directly counteracts all actions of anyone or anything we might label as an enemy in our lives.  Those people or things we might want to form negative opinions of, or hold grudges toward, are not worth it because they are like putting a cap on the water bottle of grace!  It is like no more grace can flow in and none of it can get out. We need to keep the flow of grace going in our lives - allowing our "capacity" to be ever new and freely flowing.  Just sayin!