faith unfaded

Psalm 37 is a beautiful passage of God’s promises along with a reminder to focus on doing what is right for the wicked will be slain.

Verses 8 and 9 are a good representation of the entire chapter:

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.

For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Where we go astray is when we nod along to God’s instructions for us and our hearts leap at the promise of seeing the destruction of those who are evil.

If you are blessing someone simply to heap coals of burning fire on his head (Proverbs 25:21-22) you have maligned the Word of God.

When we read of the judgment of evildoers we should be making sure we are not in that camp. When we see those clearly following Satan’s path, either blindly or willingly, we should pray for them to be reconciled to Christ.

It is not the Lord’s will that any should perish. (2 Peter 3:9)

There is a natural inclination to want to see those who’ve harmed you receive comeuppance. We all want justice.

But we have received the forgiveness that precludes the judgment we deserved. Our hearts should want others to receive that same mercy. No matter what they’ve done.

We have to stop looking at verses on God’s destruction of evil (Deuteronomy 28) and applying them to people in our lives and understand that this is a spiritual battle.

We must always remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Keep your heart pure and undefiled before the Lord. (James 1:27)