Evil Never Retires

"After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying, 'Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.' But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?"'
2 Kings 1:1-3 (NIV)

"I will never understand those who can read the headlines every day and then assert that people are basically good."

I read that quote two weeks after the worst school shooting in our state's history, and it captured exactly what I was feeling. Evil is real. Evil is rampant. And there's no place on this planet that's evil-free.

The prophet Elijah probably thought the same thing. He's just finished confronting King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, predicting their horrible deaths for murdering an innocent man named Naboth. With those two eliminated, maybe Elijah could retire to a quiet condo somewhere.

But then Ahaziah—Ahab's son—takes the throne. When the king injures himself, he sends messengers to consult Baal-Zebub instead of the God of Israel. The angel of the Lord tells Elijah in today's passage, "Go up and meet the messengers...ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub?'" (2 Kings 1:3b, NIV)

The apple didn't fall far from the tree. Evil demanded another confrontation.

The difference between the good life and the God life is this: The good life avoids evil, ignores evil, and lets somebody else deal with evil. But when you live the God life, that's not an option.

When you encounter injustice at your child's school, maybe bullying that administrators ignore or questions about which gender can use each restroom, don't assume "somebody else" will handle it. Schedule that meeting. Make that call. Write that email. Evil thrives when good people stay silent.

When you look up to God, you will stand out from the crowd, and you will be told to stand down. But when you stand with God, you stand tall, and you stand strong, there’s no retirement required.

Prayer: Lord, I confess there are times I'd rather avoid evil than confront it. Sometimes, I want the comfortable life, not the courageous life. But You didn't call me to comfort, You called me to conviction. Help me recognize that standing with You means standing up against evil, even when it’s difficult. Thank You for standing with me, Lord Jesus. Amen.