Put ‘em on God’s Hook

Let’s face it.  Our current world is mayhem even in the good old USA. One-word descriptions of what my eyes saw this week on telecasts, online and through print, I came up with this list…violence, disorder, chaos, confusion, havoc, bedlam, pandemonium, tumult, uproar, turmoil, madness, hullabaloo, all-hell-broken-loose, lies, deception, darkness, hatred, N-O-I-S-E.  If we are not careful and perceptive, this can take us down. 

Always realize who “The Grand Master of Chaos” is…yep, you got it…the devil himself.  You will discover that he loves, thrives on, relishes and is most at home with N-O-I-S-E.  1 Peter 5:8&9 makes this clear, “⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”  This week, the devil orchestrated and strutted his stuff and the world marched right behind him in perfect attention.

Things are so discouraging that many of us have fallen into depression and despondency.  Don’t go there!  “The roaring lion looks around for someone to devour.”  His tactic is to produce enough noise to paralyze his foe.  Once paralyzed, his foe becomes easy pickings.   John 8:44 declares the devil “was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  He spouts lies loudly through the highest profile newscasts, through online news feeds and even on weekly mainline television shows.  1 Peter 5:9 instructs us to “Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”

Romans 12 instructs us, “¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord…²¹ Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good”.  Here is what Paul the Apostle tells us not to do, “do not repay anyone evil for evil…do not take revenge.”  You know what this looks like to me.  We get so caught up with the dialog of this world that we argue, debate, speak over each other, scream at each other voicing our displeasure as if we are the resident expert and have responsibility to fix it.  The N-O-I-S-E of this world is deafening to our hearts. Don’t let it!

Then, Paul tells us what to do… “leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ says the Lord.”  God says for us to stop trying to fix things in our own power, don’t get caught up in the world and certainly don’t let the debate of this world define our everyday life.  Daily take the cares of the world off your hook, and put them on God’s hook.  God demonstrably states through Paul that “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.”  We de facto try to take the place of God!  Don’t do that anymore.  Put things and leave things in the hands of the One who can actually take care of it.

Once you have taken responsibility off your hook and put it on God’s hook, you are freed to do what He wants you to do, “²¹ Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.”  You are freed up to be goodness to this world no longer buried under deafening debate.  BE GOOD!