The Face of Evil
Lou Tiscione, Pastor, Weatherford Presbyterian Church (PCA)
“But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
We faced evil twenty-five years ago. May our citizens remember the horror of September 11, 2001. Evil men flew planes into what was the Twin Towers, the World Trade Center. I still remember the times when I worked in the Number One Tower. It seems like a short time ago. But I left in 1981, and several years later God broke into my life and effectually called me. He saved me for Himself. Yet, I still have memories of taking the elevators up to the 82nd Floor of that great building on which our project team was located. Now, even removed by 25 years, the vision of those planes crashing into those towers still gives me chills. I remember watching that tragic event on a TV in my church office. That event causes me to pause and think about evil in the world in light of the sovereign, good God of the universe who will judge the world when Jesus returns.
I look to God’s declaration through the prophet Isaiah of His promise for believers. The verse above contrasts with those who appear strong like youths and those who are powerful. Those who are strong in worldly terms will all grow tired and weary. But those who wait for the LORD will not only survive but will run because they won’t get tired. Though at times it seems that evil men are winning.
But God promised to deliver His people, and the prophet Isaiah began Chapter 40 with God’s word of “comfort”. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” This Chapter of Isaiah is the beginning of the “Suffering Servant” passages. The New Testament revealed the Servant to be Jesus! He declared that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Luke 4:18-21). The Servant of God, Jesus, is the one who brings comfort. The comfort He brings is the assurance of deliverance which leads to glory in heaven and the elimination of evil.
Isaiah saw future events completed. When he wrote of judgment, he saw the total destruction of the wicked. He saw their final end. He used expressions such as, “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:7).
The end is certain. On the one hand God will establish perfect righteousness and on the other He will judge all ungodliness. There will be no escape for the ungodly. He will lift the curse of original sin and usher in the New Heaven and the New Earth (Revelation 21).
God has promised the elect comfort, peace, and glory. This is what we are waiting for! We know that God never fails to keep His word. His word declares He has claimed His people as His possessions (Isaiah 43:1). Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).
God’s people wait upon Him with eager expectation of the fulfillment of His promises. The promise now is comfort. We eagerly await His promise of final deliverance. These promises are for all those who belong to the LORD. Those who belong to the Lord wait upon Him. The word translated wait means trusting God now by obeying Him while waiting for His final deliverance. Concerning the time in which we live, Jesus said that Kingdom citizens who “hunger and thirst for righteousness, [will be] satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Amen!
Events in the Middle East and in some of our cities may cause you to lose hope. But God is always faithful to His word. He will execute perfect justice. Those who hide behind children while pursing the destruction of a nation will stand before the Holy and Just God. Likewise, God will judge men of lawlessness and those who encourage others to violate established laws. Living under the Rule of Law compels us to seek justice for those who have been impacted by the evil done by men. Civil leaders are accountable to God in this (Romans 13:1-4).
Evil men will be with us until Christ returns. The evil in the world done by men is a result of the fall of Adam and Eve. We know that evil will be absent from the perfection that God has promised when Christ returns. God has declared it! But for now, God has promised comfort. His comfort is the certainty of knowing that evil and all ungodliness will come to an end. Further, the comfort that God gives is in knowing that He walks through these evil circumstances with His people. Those who believe that Jesus is who He said He is and rely upon Him have the assurance that nothing will ever separate them from God’s love (Romans 8:35-39).
The comfort is grounded in knowing that His word is always true. He promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). By God’s grace, His providence causes us to know that He holds us in the palm of His hand.
We persevere knowing that glory awaits us. We are waiting for perfect justice and peace. We wait with an eager expectation and certain assurance that God will bring them all to pass. While we wait, we have the comfort of the Lord given in His promise to be with us as we stand against evil.
