A WORD FOR TODAY, October 28, 2024
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, October 28, 2024
“Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh. Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. When you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said to you, ‘I will seek your face, Yahweh.’ Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up. Teach me your way, Yahweh. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.” Psalm 27, WEB
It is a story that has been told too many times. A woman is in love with a man who is using her. He claims he needs her but does not love her enough to give his whole heart to their relationship. She eventually discovers that he's engaged to another woman. She is devastated, but continues to answer his calls for help, hoping maybe he will choose her. She leaves for a time, but continues to call, and then shows up at the door of the place she has rented. He begs her to return to him, but refuses to break off the engagement with the other woman. “I came here because I need you.” He wants his cake and to eat it, too.
She nearly agrees but finds the courage and strength to stand up for herself. It is hard when it is a long-term relationship, and it is easy to believe that he will eventually leave the other woman, but all too often she flirts with wrongdoing and hurts herself because she is actually “the other.” It hurts the man, too, because it gives him permission to act in a vain, false, and evil way. This is connivance, which is a willingness to secretly allow or be involved in wrongdoing. If she agrees to continue in the relationship, even if he is committed to another, she is as guilty as him. The best thing for her to do is to break the relationship completely.
How should we deal with situations when we are tempted toward connivance? How should we personally, individually, privately behave around people who are vain, false, or evil? We are called to be Christlike, but we are not Jesus. He sat with those who would lead others into unhealthy circumstances. He went to dinner at the homes of tax collectors and other sinners. He talked to the self-righteous without justifying ungodly behavior. He dealt with wickedness using God’s Word, not human emotion. He sat with those who were vain, false, and evil not for His own gain but for grace, to save, and to transform.
Unfortunately, we sometimes do what we do to be on good terms with the world, to consort for selfish reasons. Christians would be wise to avoid people who are vain, false, or evil, not because they are too good, but because we are not good enough. It is so easy for us to get caught up in the evil. We need to learn how to handle these situations with good intentions, humility, and courage. If we can’t deal with our neighbors in a Christlike manner, then it would be best to avoid the relationship completely.
In the Psalm we are called to rely on the Lord. The world is full of role models, but they are not always sweet or well-behaved. Consider how many sports stars or celebrities are arrested for criminal activity. Politicians lie or think themselves above the law. We have seen disappointing stories of people we are supposed to trust in our communities like police, teachers, and clergy. Too many parents do not model good behavior for their children. We all struggle with the temptation to be one thing and do another. We get caught up in an attitude or situation and do not know how to respond. It does not take very much to turn a crowd into a raging mob. While a positive attitude can make things pleasant, a negative attitude can have as much power over a group. The group does not have to be something small like a congregation; it can be something as large as a culture. In a world that tends to turn away from God, this human tendency can create chaos.
When we keep our eyes and our hearts on the Lord, we have nothing to fear. God is faithful; He will fulfill His promises. God has our life in His hands, but the world does not value our faith.
As we look around us, we can see the impact that ideas and people have on others. In the right circumstances, one person can change the course of an entire nation. One designer can establish the clothing that millions of people will wear. One reporter can introduce an idea that will become a standard of policy and practice for many. One politician can set the agenda for the entire government. Good or bad, right or wrong, we can easily be led down a path of achievement or destruction by someone we look to as a role model.
It is not that we are all followers, blind or ignorant. It is simply that the human flesh looks for someone to emulate, to people who will be an example for us to help us to grow and mature. We tend toward connivance, acting with those who seem to have our best interests and work in ways that seem right, even if their manner of accomplishing things is vain, false, and perhaps even evil. Sometimes, unfortunately, we grasp on to the ideas that are not right. With all good intention, we sometimes follow those that are not centered in Christ. We do this because it seems like God is not acting fast enough, but we would do well to wait with the psalmist, looking to God’s word for the right way to act, breaking with those who would lead us down the wrong path, acting with Christ’s strength when possible, for grace, to save, and to transform.
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