Evil happens. Fortunately, God happens too.
In the 36th Psalm, David begins his time of peace by focusing on the good qualities of God, reminding himself of the love God has for him in abundance, and acknowledges his belief (before others) that the wicked will meet their demise.
Years ago I played piano at a mid-week Bible study. We would start the meetings off with a short, general prayer, and then go into music. It would go from raucous, foot-stomping praise to reverent melodies. Well, actually, it was all reverent—some was just more boisterous.
One evening, when the food and fellowship portion of the night was upon us, I was softly tickling the ivories, trying to stay sharp, as one of the participants approached me. He noticed a secular song that I was playing—what he didn’t know is that I was actually playing a song of praise; I had re-written the words to the popular tune. Suddenly he was extraordinarily intense about my playing the song for him. I explained what it was about, and that I didn’t normally play secular music (unless I’d re-written it in the spiritual genre), but he seemed more interested in having his way than His. I breathed up a short prayer. I didn’t want to play the song, but I also didn’t want to disappoint a brother. And then, almost audibly, I had a thought: “You can play the song, and I’m going to let you hear it the way that I do.”
Saying it was bad does not even come close. It was (literally) nauseating. I had not felt that sick since I asked the Lord to let me experience the morning sickness my late wife was experiencing—midst the cafeteria at work during lunch hour. I’d vaguely compare it to nails on a chalkboard, but then that never bothered me. Thankfully, the song finally ended, and I felt like I needed to take a bath—I’d been defiled. I can safely say it wasn’t the singing of a secular song that sickened the Lord, but rather, the pride with which the person sang it. There is a striking lack of peace when you choose to exalt self over exalting God, for exalting Him is the very nature He has placed within us from the beginning, and anything to the contrary brings unrest—peace’s nemesis.
Planning evil likewise goes against the nature of God—it is an attempt to punish and control others, rather than have Him do the job for you. Think about it; whatever God may do to correct someone, it always has the person’s peace in mind—when we try to do the correcting, it’s usually to exact the vengeance we long for, and at best, that’s our peace at the expense of another.
We live in a fallen world, and evil will inevitably affect us from time to time. Yes, evil happens—but thankfully, so does God.
b(Les)sings
Psalm 36
New King James Version (NKJV)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.
1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good;
He does not abhor evil.
5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good;
He does not abhor evil.
5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.
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