Terry James: God's Warning

God’s Warning

Terry James

Never-ending reports bombard our radios, television sets, computers, and personal devices every second of every day. They continuously bring to light (to the spiritually attuned) the evil that comes from every direction. We have had to agree with Lot, who endured evil that perhaps eclipsed even that of our time. We, like Lot, are sorely vexed.

One Christian friend emailed me her vexation—voiced through the synthesized speech program I have to use due to being blind. She indicated she shared the note with many others as well, including whomever looks at email at the White House.

She says the following, in part:

Terry:  Below is an excerpt from your commentary today.  You are right.  My own anger and indignation just keeps building, just as you describe.

Still, as the battle rages, the force that resists is largely hidden, spiritually speaking. But it is there, and it is a pent-up force that I sense is about to be unleashed in ways those of us within whom it resides can’t fully fathom.

This is the Lord’s Day, which I normally devote to sweet communion with Jesus in the Lord’s Supper and meditation and prayer, but I woke up with angry words in my mind this morning and before I could find peace and solace with our Lord I had to vent

The past four or five years have given rise to evil that threatens to unleash total debauchery like that out of which the Lord took Lot, whom He called “just” (meaning “righteous”). The God of Heaven says the following by way of warning for those who follow the pernicious ways of the evildoers of Lot’s day. The Lord, through the Psalmist, begins by giving those who are “sorely vexed” great hope.

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Psalms 37:1–11)

To understand fully God’s pronouncement against evil and His promise to the righteous, read the entire passage of Psalm 37.

But for those who are presently entrapped in evildoing, there remains hope—Jesus Christ, the “Blessed Hope.”

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)