Dealing with Evil

Those of you who read Sunday’s post will recall that I’m experiencing a difficult situation with a neighbour at the moment. It’s been consuming a lot of my energy and it’s hard to see a way forward, such is the troubling attitude of the person.

I have been asking God for help and He graciously directed me to several passages from the Psalms, where we read King David crying out to God for help against the oppression of his enemies. Reading these passages brought me great comfort.

Do not put your trust in princes,

in mortals, in whom there is no help.

When their breath departs,

they return to the earth;

on that very day their plans perish.

(Psalm 146:3-4)

Deliver me, O LORD, from evildoers;

protect me from those who are violent,

who plan evil things in their minds

and stir up wars continually.

(Psalm 140:1-2)

The LORD sets the prisoners free;

the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the strangers;

he upholds the orphan and the widow,

but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

(Psalm 146:7b-9)

People have all kinds of advice to offer when you’re going through a seemingly impossible situation. Their advice is based on their experience and their limited understanding of what you’re going through (of course it must be this way, we shouldn’t expect otherwise).

But I am convinced that by far the most useful help anyone can give is to pray for you, because it is God who holds the solution to the problem. It’s not a simple case of fighting back, or being stronger, or making a complaint, or saying the right thing. When we are faced with great evil, and can’t see a way out, our only hope is Almighty God.

Thank you so much for your prayers xx