What’s Up With So Much Evil?

Joshua 23; Joshua 24; Psalm 44; 1 Corinthians 11
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Scripture

Psalm 44

4 You are my King and my God.
You command victories for Israel.
5 Only by your power can we push back our enemies;
only in your name can we trample our foes.
6 I do not trust in my bow;
I do not count on my sword to save me.
7 You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;
you disgrace those who hate us.
8 O God, we give glory to you all day long
and constantly praise your name.
Interlude
9 But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor.
You no longer lead our armies to battle.
10 You make us retreat from our enemies
and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.
11 You have butchered us like sheep
and scattered us among the nations.
12 You sold your precious people for a pittance,
making nothing on the sale.
13 You let our neighbors mock us.
We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
14 You have made us the butt of their jokes;
they shake their heads at us in scorn.
15 We can’t escape the constant humiliation;
shame is written across our faces.
16 All we hear are the taunts of our mockers.
All we see are our vengeful enemies.
17 All this has happened though we have not forgotten you.
We have not violated your covenant.
18 Our hearts have not deserted you.
We have not strayed from your path.
19 Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home.
You have covered us with darkness and death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods,
21 God would surely have known it,
for he knows the secrets of every heart.
22 But for your sake we are killed every day;
we are being slaughtered like sheep.

Observation

Do you have the answer to evil and suffering? Joshua told the children of Israel that God would bless them if they kept his commandments, but He would bring disaster on them if they disobeyed. But this Psalm is talking about affliction and suffering even though they were staying true to the Lord.

Jesus gave us at least a partial answer to this in John 16:33 when He said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

We are going to experience suffering, affliction, pain, and persecution as Christ-followers, but we need to take heart because Jesus has given us the victory.

Someone has said that 95% of all pain and suffering is caused by moral evil brought on by man himself and only 5% is what we would call natural evil (hurricane, disease, natural disasters). Most of the pain we experience on a daily basis is caused by the sinfulness of man.

Why doesn’t God do away with evil and suffering? One day He will, but one reason that He doesn’t is because there are still evil people in this world that are lost and need a saving relationship with Him. So He is patient and puts up with evil (for a little longer) so that you and I might be saved.

Application

My trust will be in the Lord today and not in myself. He will be my strength.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to look back over my life to remember how good you have been to me. I am so blessed. Help me to love evil people, the people that are not easy to love and help me to look beyond their meanness to see their need for a Savior. Thank you for showing me that my focus needs to be on you and not on the troubles of this world. You are a Mighty God. You are my Rock. Help me to bring you glory today. Amen.

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