In the Face of Evil

“What misery is mine!  I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The faithful have been swept from the land; not one upright person remains.  Everyone lies in wait to shed blood; they hunt each other with nets.  Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire—they all conspire together.  The best of them is like a brier, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.

The day God visits you has come, the day your watchmen sound the alarm. Now is the time of your confusion.  Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend.  Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:1-7 NIV)

As is my custom, I read the news this morning.  It contained stories about a suicide bombing in Turkey, a presidential candidate promising to use torture against the nation’s enemies, a woman who has endured a year of cyber-bullying, and the trial of a woman accused of attacking a pregnant woman and removing the baby from her womb.  In reality, this is a fairly normal news day.

If we dare read the news on a regular basis, we are quickly reminded of how fallen our world is.  We can be the proverbial ostrich with our heads in the sand, immersing ourselves in our own worlds of entertainment and distraction, but sooner or later the reality of this deeply sinful world will find us, no matter how hard we try to avoid it.  Therefore, it is comforting to read these words of the prophet Micah.  He, too, found himself in a world of mayhem, where each way he turned evil was there.  Was he disturbed?  Obviously.  Was he anxious and frightened? Most likely.  

But what Micah did in response to his situation provides a lesson for us all.  He walked by faith, not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7).  He put his hope in the Lord, believing He was ultimately in control even if his world seemed under siege by evil.  Echoing the words of Jesus, he took heart that the Lord could overcome anything the world threw at him.

Today, do you feel overwhelmed by the world around you?  Are you discouraged and anxious about the evil you see?  Then heed the example of Micah, a man who was in similar circumstances and had similar feelings.  Trust in the Lord that He sees what is happening and is in control.  Draw near to Him as a child draws near his father when he is afraid.  In His arms you can feel secure, even when evil is nearby.

© Jim Musser 2016