When it seems that wrong is always winning, how do you reconcile that?  How do you handle the emotions that arise from the injustice that you see? 

As I meditated on Psalm 36 this morning, it sounded like it was describing what I observe in society today.  Between the violence in our streets and the deceitfulness of our governing authorities, it can get pretty discouraging.  Give this Psalm a read.

“I have a message from God in my heart
concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: 
There is no fear of God before their eyes.  
In their own eyes they flatter themselves 
too much to detect or hate their sin.  
The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; 
They fail to act wisely or do good.  
Even on their beds they plot evil;  
They commit themselves to a sinful course 
and do not reject what is wrong.  
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, 
Your faithfulness to the skies.  
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, 
Your justice like the great deep.  
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.  
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  
People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.  
They feast on the abundance of Your house; 
You give them drink from your river of delights.  
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.  
Continue Your love to those who know You, 
Your righteousness to the upright in heart.  
May the foot of the proud not come against me, 
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.  
See how the evildoers lie fallen– thrown down, not able to rise!”  
~~Psalm 36~~

In light of the questions stirring in my mind, God used this Psalm to realign my thinking to His, and as I just sat and listened to His Spirit speak, one thought kept echoing in my mind in regards to those doing wrong and seeming to prosper. 

“Those people may think they are making all the rules, walking through life as if they are ‘above the law’.  At times It may even appear that evil is getting by unnoticed, but the mindset that says ‘I’m above the law’ only works in this temporal world.  In the spiritual, eternal realm in which I now dwell, God alone makes the rules, and there is no such place as ‘above the law’.”  

Here’s a fact that is hard for me to swallow.  The evil one, the enemy of our souls, has a “home court” advantage here on earth.  It may appear that good always loses and wrong always wins, and that may even turn out to be the case, but that is only temporary. 

God’s Word tells us that we are “foreigners and strangers on this earth” (1 Peter 2:11-12 CEV), so we aren’t supposed to be comfortable with how the native citizens of this world carry on their lives. This isn’t where we belong.

So how do I reconcile what I see happening around me with my yearning for justice?  As I pondered that question, the Spirit continued to teach.  He reminded me of two important things.  

1)  REMEMBER WHERE THE BATTLE IS REALLY BEING WAGED.  “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). 

I can’t deal with my thoughts the way the world does.  When I find my emotions are taking me where I don’t want to go, I have to choose to fight, taking captive the thoughts of “this world isn’t fair!!” and bringing them captive in obedience to Jesus Christ, who has already won the victory over sin and death.  (If I take a thought captive, that doesn’t make it disappear, but it does limit its ability to move freely about in my mind.)  

2)  FORMULATE MY BATTLE PLAN.  “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3).  

“Throw off” is a choice — a decision to take action.  I can struggle under the weight of my emotions OR I can throw them off.  The choice is mine.  When “throwing off” seems too hard, remember that Jesus was able to endure the cross, knowing that heaven was just around the corner.  It’s the same for us.  This verse says that remembering that Jesus went before us and endured is how we don’t grow weary and lose heart.  And you might say, “yeah, but I’m not Jesus.”, and you’re right; BUT you have the same Spirit within you that was powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead!!  

I came away from my time in the Word this morning with three directives from God.  

FOCUS 
Focus on aligning my thoughts and actions with the truth of God’s word.  

RUN 
Run with perseverance the race marked out for ME 
(I can’t do that when I am focusing on the bad choices others are making).  

KEEP 
Keep my eyes on Jesus, who set the example of living in victory amidst a world of sinners.  

 “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  
People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house;
You give them drink from your river of delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light we see light.”
~~Psalm 36:7-9~~

God met me where I was this morning.  He helped me see things from His perspective.  He reminded me that there is refuge for my weary soul in the shadow of His wings.  He gave me a long drink of His cool water that satisfies my soul.  He shed His light on my wrong focus so I could see things clearly.  I don’t know how I would make it one moment without God.  I honestly don’t.