When Good is Declared Evil

Scripture: Don’t disgrace me, Lord, by not replying when I call to you for aid. But let the wicked be shamed by what they trust in; let them lie silently in their graves, their lying lips quieted at last—the lips of these arrogant men who are accusing honest men of evil deeds. Psalm 31:17-18

Observation: The believer, calling on the Lord for protection from and validation against wicked non-believers, further calls on the Lord to take action against those enemies. He asks explicitly that they be "shamed by what the trust in", and further aligns those things they trust in as expressed by their lying spoken words. The ultimate way to 'shame' them is in death ... the place where their lies will be permanently silent, and they will no longer be able to accuse honest men of evil.

In other words, this ask of the Lord breaks down as follows:

-- Protect believers against the lies of the wicked.

-- Those lies involve declaring as good their own deeds.

-- In that same way, this means the opposite acts of honest men are declared as evil deeds.

-- The ultimate shame brought by God upon the wicked is the finality of their death.

Application: I am once again today reminded of how many aspects of our current society are evil in the eyes of the Lord, yet society is declaring them as 'good' and castigating those who would be opposed to those ideals. From drug use, to confrontational protest, to sexual morality, to family structures ... the list goes on ... people convinced of their rightness - due to the fact they have determined they have no need for God - are declaring as good those things that are evil, and declaring as evil anyone who does not agree. They attack and hurt those who would prioritize God's guidance, and call it love and justice and correctness.

And I must remember ... I will never see, and have no part in, any corrective action in this. For most, only death will reveal their folly. For those who have wronged me, and who are now attacking those I would consider brothers and sisters in Christ, there will be no accounting in this world. However, the Lord will handle it, and I'm good with that.

Prayer: Lord, I see the evil, and I hear the wicked. Please reply to myself and all others that need your aid daily. Please don't disgrace us. Protect us daily, and comfort us in remembering the long-term victory. May our love for others, provided by the strength of the Holy Spirit, always overcome the hate of others. Amen.