TRUSTING IN THE FACE OF EVIL

In light of the descent of our world to chaos, I feel a great and overwhelming need to drink deeply from the truths and assurances of Psalm 37. How much better to than to write on it:

**Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. (Psalms 37:1-3; ESV)

I grieve painfully and angrily over the injustices and hypocrisies tearing apart our society. I want to fight and respond with fist, but I am no more than a passing mist, an inconsequential cry in the darkness.

However, my Lord tells me to not fret or lapse into desperation. He still reigns. The gravel is in His hand and He will deliver the concluding symphonic cord. He has written the final chapter. His purposes are so entirely unassailable that He laughs in the face of rebellion.

Therefore, we must be about His business. We must do good in the face of evil and love as hatred breathes its rancid breath upon our face. But how? By trusting in the Lord and clinging to His Word like a life-raft for the drowning. There is no other sanctuary.

The ultimate answer: trust in god

* Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. (Psalms 37:3-5, ESV)

If we trust in God, He will act on own behalf. This is antithetical to trust in ourselves, our usual default, our normal mode of getting things done.

What does it mean to trust in God? It means to trust in what He tells us to do. If we trust in our Doctor, we will do what He tells us to do. If we refuse to do this, it means that we don't trust in him.

However, we will not trust in God if we continue to trust in ourselves. If we think that we have the answers, we will not solicit answers from another. Why should we?

Therefore, we need to take the painful pill of self-despair. This pill opens our eyes to the truth about ourselves. We are not worthy of self-trust. We cannot believe our desires and hopes. What we think will make us happy enslaves us.

When we trust in God, His desires begin to replace our own. His agenda gradually pushes our agenda into the ditch, where it belongs. His desires become ours. Thereby, He will fulfill the desires of our heart, and my heart will truly be fulfilled.

Looking patiently towards eternity

* Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. (Psalms 37:5-8; ESV)

I fret, get angry, and am tempted to wrath. This is why the counsel of this Psalm speaks to me. It comforts and soothes. It melts my anger into a mountain spring. It waves its wand over my wrath, reducing it to bubbling gurgles.

My Lord counsels me to wait, assuring that all will be righteousness and goodness in the end. Meanwhile we are slandered and hated. Yet, our Lord comforts us with the knowledge that our cup will overflow with His blessings before our humbled despisers (Psalm 1:4-6).

For how long will our blessedness endure? While the New Testament is explicit about heaven, the Old is less so:

* For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. (Psalms 37:28-29)

We will live on a rejuvenated "land...forever." Despite the many hardships we must endure, these will be only a temporary flicker, a preparation for eternity.

Meanwhile, keeping the destination in sight as the prizefighter suffering bloody blows, but for an eternal glory, for the peace, joy, and love, which will always cradle us in its arms.