Overcoming Evil

Monday 9/29/2014 4:49 AM

Over the weekend a disgruntled worker who had just been fired from his job returned to his place of employment and attacked two women, stabbing them both and beheading one of them. It is difficult for me to understand how one can reach that point of rage where one resorts to that level of violence but it seems to be happening with increasing frequency of late.

My devotional theme for the week is “Beyond Forgiveness.” If I were the husband, father or son of the beheaded woman it would take something way beyond forgiveness to deal with the anger I would have toward the perpetrator. My psalm for the week is Psalm 141 and verse 4 seems fitting, “Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat of their delicacies.” It is one thing to pray this prayer but it is another thing to live it out. Faced with the horror of this situation it would be natural to retaliate, to seek vengeance for the woman who was murdered. But vengeance is a delicacy that never satisfies. It always wants more. Verse 8 records David’s prayer to help him deal with his desire for vengeance. “But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge – do not give me over to death.” Rather than focusing on the injustices he encounters he focuses on God, trusting God to curb his appetite for vengeance.

In his book The Manhood of the Master, Harry Emerson Fosdick writes, “Only by a stronger passion can evil passions be expelled, and … a soul unoccupied by a positive devotion is sure to be occupied by spiritual demons.” Like David, if I want to be delivered from the evil that so easily entices I need to increase my passion for God and fix my eyes upon him and upon his word.

Lately I have spent less and less time reflecting on God’s love, his word and his will for my life. The result of spending less time with God and his word are feelings of indifference toward God, disenchantment with the world and apathy toward others, all things that are contrary to God’s will for me and for the Christian community at large. Lord, help me to keep my eyes fixed on you so I do not succumb to the indifference and disenchantment that is contrary to your will.