The Darker the Night…

I was saddened yesterday as the Devil continued to ramp up his fomenting of division and strife in our country which is founded on Biblical truth. The old saying “The darker the night, the brighter the stars shine” is still true. We are the ones to shine forth with truth in the midst of the twisted and perverse systems of this world.

Philippians 2:15,16 [ESV]:
That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life.

Ephesians 2:2 [ESV]:
In which you once walked, following the course [system] of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

Even though the sons of disobedience are motivated by Satan, the prince of the power of the air, we no longer need to walk in that system. We can remain blameless and innocent as God’s children, and shine forth in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. As we shine the light of God’s love, truth, and wisdom—we hold fast to the word of life. After all, life is what people need.

A Perfect Psalm for Today’s Woes

I read Psalm 73 from the James Moffatt translation, and it seemed to speak to today’s political and social unrest. It shows the choice of seeing things from a limited five-senses perspective, or looking at life from God’s sound and true spiritual perspective.

Psalm 73 [James Moffatt Translation]:
1) Yes, to the upright God is good, to hearts unstained!

2) I almost slipped, I nearly lost my footing,
3) in anger at the godless and their arrogance, at the sight of their success.
4) No pain is theirs, but sound, strong health;
5) no part have they in human cares, no blows like other men.
6) So they vaunt them in their pride, and flaunt them in rough insolence;
7) vice oozes from their very soul, their minds are rank and riotous,
8) their talk is mocking and malicious, and haughtily they lay their plots;
9) lofty as heaven itself their speech, lording it over the world below.
10) So people turn to follow them, and see no wrong in them,
11) thinking, “What does God care? How can the Almighty heed—when these,
12) the godless, prosperously fare, thriving thus at their ease?”
13) ‘Tis all in vain I kept my heart from stain, kept my life clean,
14) when all day long blows fell on me, and every dawn brought me some chastening!

15) Yet, had I meant to utter this aloud, I had been faithless to thy family.
16) So I thought of it, thinking to fathom it; but sorely did it trouble me,
17) till I found out God’s secret, viewing their latter end.
18) Thou plantest them on slippery ground, thou hurlest them to ruin—
19) laid low in a single moment, scared away, swept away,
20) like a dream when one awakens, like phantoms despised by the day!

21) When my heart was sour, when I felt sore.
22) I was a dull, stupid creature, no better than a brute before thee.
23) Yet I am always beside thee; thou holdest my right hand,
24) guiding me with thy counsel, leading me after thyself by the hand.
25) Whom have I in heaven but thee? On earth I care for nothing else.
26) Body and soul may fail, but God my strength is mine, my own for evermore.
27) Those who leave thee are lost; all who are faithless to thee, are destroyed.
28) But to be near God is my bliss, to shelter with the Lord [that I may tell of all thy works].

This Psalm deals with the heartache of man. Looking without, we see that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse” (II Timothy 3:13). Looking within, we see that “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26). Thus, man is tossed about with his emotions. But when we look to God, through His Son Jesus Christ, we are enlightened (II Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:18). We have “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding…through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Let’s look at this Psalm to see how things are really “going down” today. Its structure is beautiful: beginning and ending with God’s goodness and justice established (verses 1; 27,28) and having at its center “looking without and within” (verses 2-16) in contrast to seeing things from God’s perspective (verses 21-28).

Is Evil Really Triumphing Today?

You may do your best each day to love our heavenly Father and serve His Son, our lord, Jesus Christ. You try to keep your heart “unstained” by the world.

Verse 1: Yes, to the upright God is good, to hearts unstained!

Then we see the nastiness in the world around us. And those doing the evil seem to be immune from justice. They “seem” to be the most favored of all!

Verses 2-5: I almost slipped, I nearly lost my footing, in anger at the godless and their arrogance, at the sight of their success. No pain is theirs, but sound, strong health; no part have they in human cares, no blows like other men.

When I see our nation’s leader from 2008-2016, I see the utmost in pride and personal ambition. I’m reminded in this Psalm why.

Verses 6-9: So they vaunt them in their pride, and flaunt them in rough insolence; vice oozes from their very soul, their minds are rank and riotous, their talk is mocking and malicious, and haughtily they lay their plots; lofty as heaven itself their speech, lording it over the world below.

The weak-minded and spiritually unsound follow them recklessly. They reason that “If God doesn’t stop such evil, and they even seem to prosper, then why should I keep my life clean? Why should I endure the persecution and disdain that comes with standing for the truth?” Again, this Psalm points out such thoughts.

Verses 10-14: So people turn to follow them, and see no wrong in them, thinking, “What does God care? How can the Almighty heed—when these, the godless, prosperously fare, thriving thus at their ease?” ‘Tis all in vain I kept my heart from stain, kept my life clean, when all day long blows fell on me, and every dawn brought me some chastening!

Our Godly Response

In the face of such evil, the natural tendency is to complain and lament the circumstances around us. Yet, when we think deeply, and go to God for answers—they are there. Such evil will find justice, either now or at the heavenly bar of God.

Verses 15-20: Yet, had I meant to utter this aloud, I had been faithless to thy family. So I thought of it, thinking to fathom it; but sorely did it trouble me, till I found out God’s secret, viewing their latter end. Thou plantest them on slippery ground, thou hurlest them to ruin—laid low in a single moment, scared away, swept away, like a dream when one awakens, like phantoms despised by the day!

As people, we are very limited in understanding without God’s help. Like brute animals, we can be led by emotions and allow our minds and bodies to react to such evil “stimuli.”  That’s when genuine humility and thankfulness for God’s grace must come to the forefront. I just looked out my window and saw a little sparrow moving about. It had no care or concern that God would not provide for it. Jesus said that neither should we (Matthew 6:26).

Verses 21-26: When my heart was sour, when I felt sore. I was a dull, stupid creature, no better than a brute before thee. Yet I am always beside thee; thou holdest my right hand, guiding me with thy counsel, leading me after thyself by the hand [afterward you will receive me to glory]. Whom have I in heaven but thee? On earth I care for nothing else. Body and soul may fail, but God my strength is mine, my own for evermore.

These words would have brought great comfort to Jesus Christ when he read them. He knew that his Father would continually guide him in his ministry, and that He would raise him from the dead to bring him unto glory (Matthew 25:31). These words comfort us also. The evil will be punished, and the sweetest place for us is to shelter in our Father’s loving arms. We pray, love, and shine in this dark night by telling others of His mighty works and the salvation available through Christ. That is our peace.

Verses 27,28: Those who leave thee are lost; all who are faithless to thee, are destroyed. But to be near God is my bliss, to shelter with the Lord [that I may tell of all thy works].

With love,

Gene Slavit