If It Seems Evil

After a string of victories in conquering the Promised Land, Joshua makes a strong statement to the people of God.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD (italics mine), choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (Joshua 24:15 KJV).

If it seems evil to serve the Lord?

Another translation uses the word "undesirable" and in the original language it means evil or bad. How can it seem to a believer that serving the Lord is evil?

Keep in mind if serving the Lord is perceived as evil then it follows the understanding of God's character (yes, His very nature) is perceived to be equally evil.

We see this twisted perspective in the man who hid the talent of gold in the ground. His response to the master is very telling. Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. (Matthew 25:24 NIV).

How many believers view God as harsh, mean spirited or vindictive?

Beloved, we live in a generation that has inverted that which good as something wicked and evil as somehow being right. This deformity or rather perversity in thinking has influenced the believer's understanding of God.

It's not a question of why God permits suffering or why innocent lives get in the cross fire of wars, diseases or some other horrific event. No, the question is a matter of faith. Do we trust His nature (and His very heart) when we have more questions than answers. Or when there is unexplained pain and nothing seems to make sense.

To see God through natural eyes is to fall short of understanding His heart. When we compare to what we have or don't have we can quickly fall into the enemy's trap that God is not good (at least to what we define goodness). Or that He is holding back the best from our lives. Sadly, there are so called ministers preaching wealth, health and blessings that many of us don't experience and we can form a view of God as mean, harsh and unfeeling.

We need to see Him through the eyes of faith so our prayer should be open my eyes to see You - past the natural and my perspective, attitudes and misunderstandings - and God will remove the cataracts of unbelief.

God is a good Master.