WHAT IS EVIL?

A family member and I were recently discussing all the bad things that are happening in our country these days… and we got on the subject of evil. True evil… not accidents or mistakes… but moral evil.  And he asked, “What IS evil?” Great question… This is not necessarily a feel-good topic but today I want to talk about …   WHAT IS EVIL?
 

Oh boy, did I pick a topic that is thick with theology and much debated and explained by scholars who talk and think way above my head! This is not the definitive word on evil …. or even a thorough definition… and it will not even begin to scratch the surface of this topic… but it is an easy to understand and a good way to think about evil. Evil is the absence of God.

 When we push God out of our lives… out of our country… He WILL leave. He will never force himself or His presence on anyone.  And when God leaves, He leaves a great big V-O-I-D. It is in that void that evil flourishes, no… abounds! 
Jesus, in the Sermon On The Mount said… 
 
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, to show that you are the children of your Father in heaven, for He makes the sun shine on the wicked and the good, and makes the rain fall on the upright and the evildoers.”
 
I want to highlight one part of this scripture that is not the main meaning but will give us insight into good and evil. Jesus says that God “makes the sun shine on the wicked and the good, and makes the rain fall on the upright and the evildoers”. What Jesus is saying, and the Jews of the day would understand this, is God’s grace and goodness is on all of His creation… both good and evil. “Rain” in the bible can be a symbol of blessing.  In ancient times God would withhold the rains when His people were turning away from Him and acting evil. It was a sign to the people… a way of God saying, “You better watch and turn back to Me”.
 
I’m not saying that droughts today are God’s way of warning us about evil in our lives and nations. Here is what I am saying… God’s grace and mercy to everyone is a way of showing who He is and His love for all of us! And because of His great blessings of love and mercy, all people should want to turn to Him.
 
But there are people that don’t accept, acknowledge or believe in God or His great love and benevolence to all of us. They choose to turn their backs on Him and go their own way. And left to our own devices we can begin a very dark spiral into evil, a pit without the presence of God!
 
When we take this deadly path, evil abounds. And the saddest thing is the consequences of evil, the fallout, that ripples out onto those around the wicked. Evil is not discriminating, it effects everyone. The evil, the good and the innocent!  For example, we can easily see the horrific fallout of abuse on the lives of an abuser’s family. Innocents most often suffer! 
 
For me, the recent, tragic occurrences in our country are sure signs of a nation in deep trouble, in denial of God. You may not agree, and that is your right, but looking at these tragedies in today’s world that are perpetrated by evil people and the heart-wrenching loss of life and innocence is a sure sign to me!
 
 Remember … evil is the absence of God. Then how do we as individuals and as a nation curb the evil? The answer is easy… TURN BACK TO GOD!
Believe in the saving grace of Jesus!  The answer may be easy… The obedience to that biblical truth may not be!
 
We, who are authentic Christians, should be mourning over the loss of those who have chosen the darkness of the pit by rejecting God. But we should also find comfort in the truth that no one … NO ONE… is beyond salvation. 
 
We all have a choice, God gave the same choice to the Jews many centuries ago as they were just about to head into the promised land of Israel… the land they were to live in…
 
God said…
 
“I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the cures. So choose life in order that you may live, and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him, for this is your life and length of days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your father, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” Deut. 30: 19
 
We have a choice… like a multiple choice test… and God even gives us the correct answer…
 
Here’s your test…
What will you choose?
a. life and blessings
b. death and curses
c. chose life… 
 
What have you chosen? Evil is a sure sign of failing the test! But here is the great news… God let’s us retake the test. He is ready… are you?
 
This week’s memorization verse:
I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the cures. So choose life  Deut 30:19

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76 Comments

  1. Thank you for that truth! You made it simple and easy to understand. We need God in every area of our lives. Yes my heart is broken for those who are rejecting that truth. May God have mercy on this country.

  2. Dianne Lanier says:

    Wonderful post. We should all be praying for our President and our nation!

  3. Amen! What a wonderful, uplifting post! Thank you so much for being a blessing to your readers through your writing and sharing. Oh, I just loved reading this!

  4. Carolyn Ray says:

    THANK YOU YVONNE FOR THIS REMINDER TO LOVE ALL THE HATERS OF JESUS. IT IS A VERY HARD TO LOVE AND PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO KILL US INCLUDING CHILDREN. I FEEL WE ARE WALKING A FINE LINE TO DESTRUCTION AND WITHOUT OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, WE ARE DOOMED. WE PRAY FOR OUR PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT AND ALL THE SENATE AND HOUSE MEMBERS EVERY DAY, TO DO RIGHT BY GOD AND COUNTRY. GOD BLESS US EVERYONE.

  5. Robin Talley says:

    Beautiful read for this morning. Thank you Yvonne

  6. Karen Grant says:

    I have been following your blog for about a year or so and this is the first time I have left a comment. I was so moved by your post today that I just had to write and thank you for your beautiful and thoughtful words. I agree with you completely! My husband and I often discuss this very subject. Thank you Yvonne for the nudge, reminder and inspiration today. Your blog is my favorite by far!!!

  7. It is so important that this blog go out to the world. They may chose to ignore it or reject it. It is there choice but they then cannot say to God on judgement day that they didn’t know. Yes, yes, yes, pray for our President and his cabinet daily that God will open his mine and eyes to receive HIS guidance and direction. In the Bible God says that when HE returns HE will judge and send those who belong to Him to the right and those who belong to satan to the left. Do you belong to the RIGHT?

  8. We are living in very scary times so thank you for the reminder that we need to pray for all.

  9. Yvonne, enjoyed your Bible study today, and I also think we all will be held accountable for our actions. We all need to be in prayer for our country and leaders. Lots of us Americans are so rushed that we sometime forget that God still controls our actions and thoughts. Have a blessed day girlfriend and I look forward to reading more of your posts. Gaye

  10. Thank you for the insightful post. We need to pray for all.

  11. Wonderful blog! Thank you for sharing God’s truth!

  12. Thank you Yvonne. I too have been thinking a lot about all the evil in this world. It is heartbreaking because you know it is done by broken people who don’t know God or have turned away from Him. I continue to pray everyday for our country, this world and those who are living a life without God.

  13. Linda Tucker says:

    I’m very glad you speak for the Lord on your blog. And I’m glad you show the way of salvation. I’ll be praying that someone will understand and come to Jesus. Wouldn’t that be wonderful??
    Sincerely, Linda

  14. Carol Elkins says:

    Thank you for taking God’s word and explaining it in easy to understand terms. Praying.

  15. We only have to accept His mercy to us and give our lives to Him. We are so thankful that He called us and loved us before we even knew Him.

  16. You have so much wisdom. Thank you for sharing it with me.

  17. Thank you for putting this into perspective. I have been reading the book of John, which I love. Jesus made it very clear what we as Christians must do to be close to God. I think that we are seeing way too much evil in the world and as you said it’s because many are turning away from God.

    hugs,
    Sissie

  18. anita roth says:

    Thank You for your insight into the biblical defintion of evil. I have been thinking about this lately as I have many family members who have cut God out of their lives! I have struggled with calling them evil but this clearly says that if they have cut God out of their that they are evil ! This makes me so said as they are my family !

  19. amen and amen. thank you for this post today. PRay without ceasing.?❤

  20. Thank you for that simple yet insightful look at evil. It breaks our hearts to see family and friends reject our loving
    creator and savior. The evil in this world is yet another reminder of the wonderful life in heaven that awaits we who are faithful!

  21. Again, thank you for sharing the truth of God’s word.

  22. PS. Meant to say at a time when all around us, evil is called good, and good, evil. Bless you.

  23. Have a blessed Sunday.

  24. Thank you for this insightful, easy to understand Sunday post. I pray daily for our country and our elected officials as well as those who continue to do harm to us.
    God Bless America??

  25. Brilliantly stated. So glad to know I am not alone in my experience of the world. It is dark out there, but with prayer and a realignment back to God, we can create a better world. There simply is no other way. Thank you for your reflection on this most important topic. God bless.

  26. Elizabeth says:

    What joy you bring to your readers by proclaiming our dear Lord and Savior. I always look forward to Sunday’s and then to have your lessons in addition to attending church is such a blessing. I have learned that there is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, hope. My mother never attended church until my Dad died and we started taking her with us. At the age of 82 she asked me to lead her in the prayer of salvation. As I prayed with her the tears of joy rolled down my face because that was a prayer that I had been praying for 50 years. Although she can barely walk because of physical injuries she insisted on getting baptized. The elders all but carried her but she got there. When that little woman came out of the water she was a completely different person. Since that day she has attended church regularly as well as Bible studies. She will be 89 years old in April and has become such an inspiration and blessing to others. I urge all of your readers to never give up hope !!!

  27. Sharon B. says:

    Amen! I am so happy that you spoke about this, and believe every word you wrote. The world is turning away from the Lord and it is hard to understand sometimes what people are thinking. I too have been thinking a lot about this during the past year. I can only surmise that people have hardened hearts and can not hear the voice of God and that many don’t want to. I don’t think people understand that God gives you many chances, but as you said, he will walk away. We just have to keep praying for our Country, our fellow Americans, Mankind at large and our families. I find myself worrying about my very small grandchildren and what they will experience in their lives but then stop, pray about it and rest it in the Lord’s hands. May God have Mercy on all of us!

  28. Thank you for this wonderful message. I, too, have been thinking about all the evil which fills the world now days. And, I pray daily for the President and our country. I, too, look forward to your Sunday messages.

  29. Jane, in her comment above said it well. We live in a country where good is being portrayed as intolerant and evil, and what was formerly considered evil is being shoved down our throats as good and acceptable.
    It makes me so sad to think that my soon to be born grandson will grow up in an immoral America. I join you in praying for this once great land, our leaders, our families, and our precious children.

  30. What a wonderful post Yvonne! I always look forward to Sundays at StoneGable. Your God given talents touch so many and in many different ways. I, too, pray daily for our leaders and our country as well as the ones that do not know God and His saving grace. May you have a blessed filled week my friend in Christ!

  31. Thank you! I agree, our Country is in desperate need of God, our Father. May we find Grace and Mercy!

  32. Oh my! I do believe in what you shared and it helps me deal with what is going on! I know it is part of my job to be a better service and follow Gods Word.

  33. There will always be evil people. What are we do, except be good ourselves and try to influence those around us.

  34. Great Word! I so agree with ya, Be safe.
    Hugs

  35. Thank you for sharing with your blog and not being too afraid of loosing readers. I agree with you totally and am thankful for you even talking about evil with your readers. I love your blog and one day those of us who choose to embrace salvation will spend all eternity in a place where there will be NO evil because forever we will be with the One who died for us and prepared a place for us where there would be no evil. Thank you for your blog today. I thank God that there are still Godly women that will stand up and speak truth. So thank you for that , I appreciate you very much.

    1. Carole, I love all of my readers and do my best for them every single day! If they don’t like Sunday post they just overlook them. And God is the One who blesses this blog!

  36. Candace Geldreich says:

    Yay! I finally was able to see your Sunday lesson. I’m not sure what happened earlier,when I clicked on the link it said it had been removed. Here it is though. I got to enjoy it at last. Thank you for your faithfulness to God, your willingness to share his love, and the joy you bring to your readers in your posts.
    I truly do feel as if I had set down at your table,nice cup of coffee in hand, and had Sunday school.

  37. Martha Hansen says:

    A lovely post, thank you Yvonne. I just came back from working at church, serving the weekly free Sunday meal to those in need, mostly elderly. Everyone is welcome, no questions asked. State funding has been cut for our Senior meals, and our town is trying to find a way to make up for it, accepting donations for the Senior Center, etc. But this weekly meal served at a local church has been going on for many years. Every Sunday afternoon a different volunteer organization in town provides and serves the meal. And I always think of Matthew 25:40 – “Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me.” Let us not lose heart, this spirit is alive and well all across our great country.

  38. Thank you Yvonne for speaking so simply and yet powerfully. I am a devotee to the mother of God. The guiding force in life should be to love a God and respect life. Only good can come from that. We are on the cusp . Let’s keep the conversation going.

  39. Yvonne, May the Lord bless you and all of your readers.

  40. Great message, we need to pray daily for our leaders to make good choices; and for this world to come back to God.

  41. We have as a nation taken God out of our lives and what such a sad state! We need healing in our land! Prayer is the answer! Thank you so much for your Sunday posts; that starts my week out perfectly and I’m glad you choose to share your heart with us!

  42. Thank you for today’s Sunday Scripture post. Always love reading these. Always so clear and understandable. Praying for our president and country.
    Blessings

  43. Fran Braun says:

    Thank you! We have turned to the gods of greed and a lack of faith. You did a great job on this one. We do need to pray for our president and his entire cabinet As Tiny Tim said, ‘God bless us all!”

  44. LuAnn Meyer says:

    I love your writings. Thank you for these words. I pray for my granddaughters because of this evil. My stepson and his wife are not believers and their paths are mired in this world of gaming. I pray their hearts are opened to receive Christ.

  45. “We, who are authentic Christians, should be mourning over the loss of those who have chosen the darkness of the pit by rejecting God.”

    This here is of great importance in this trying time in our country. In the past some of these difficult times have been due to others trying to destroy our country and faith, that which saught to destroy us only united us. Now our difficult times are dividing us. We have those who hide behind the disquise of being “authentic Christians” yet their behavior/words is not of a true Christian. Those who tend to support these people are not seeing a true example of Christianity. I believe this is a factor in some who have chosen the “darkness of the pit” not because they are intentionally rejecting God but because they are rejecting Christianity as they see it in this form, sadly in the end it does result in them rejecting God but for all the wrong reasons. I pray they will be guided by the word of God understanding that the grace based relationship between God and man is the true foundation of Christianity, having a transformed heart not just in word but also in action. Christianity is not just attending church or reading scripture, Christianity is to know God, love him, learn all there is to know about him, treat others as Jesus did even those who have sinned and are different than us. Christianity is a relationship not a religion. Thanks for such a meaningful post, may we all choose life.

  46. Yvonne Sanders says:

    What a great post, Yvonne.

  47. Linda Godwin says:

    Thank you for your post today. Our country has to heal and prayer is the first step in bringing our country back to God.

  48. LOVE this! It is so true and there are some parts of this that many people miss. Thank you for sharing biblical truth!

  49. Great post!!! Thank you for sharing this!

  50. Thank you, Yvonne, for this post. I so appreciate you being willing to share your Christian faith. The subject of evil has always been one that sparks my interest. I have done much reading, writing and reflection on it. Thank you for your insights and discussion. Blessings on your day.

  51. Amen … I chose life! Thanks you Lord Jesus for making the way for me.

  52. Thank you for this wonderful inspirational message. We must turn toward God and pray for our leaders to have the guidance and direction to make the right decisions for our country.

  53. Great post Yvonne

    I pray for our country all the time, that it will find its way back to God. I agree without him there is sadness, dispare and evil. Unfortunately today people don’t see that this is because they have turned their back on God.

    During this lent I’m trying to make my actions more loving and giving, hoping people will see that God is in the small acts of love and kindness. Maybe they’ll want what I have, a good and loving God

    One thing I don’t agree with you on however is I believe God never leaves us. He always wants us to come back to him even if we rejected him all our lives and comes back and ask for forgiveness during our last breath. He’s always waiting for us.

    God bless you Yvonne and God continue to bless our country

  54. Debbie Pingitore says:

    Thank you once again for sharing God’s word. I chose “life” 43 years ago and He has been my greatest blessing.

  55. Thanks for sharing the truth and encouragement for my walk in the Lord.

  56. Thank you Yvonne for another wonderful Sunday message.

  57. Corliss Grinstead Derrick says:

    I enjoy all of your posts but Sunday is consistently my favorite. Thank you for your Bible based messages which are still so relevant to our world today. Praying daily for our President and other leaders.
    Blessings!

  58. The Shekinah Glory of God has been with His people at times of need, like in the exodus from Egypt. Then in Ezekiel,
    The Glory of the Lord departs the temple, leaves the city, and goes to the mountain to the east. Judgement and punishment is certain. His wrath will rage. But the Lord our God never leaves totally. He scatters his sheep and brings us back, just like a good Shepherd He “will look for the lost and bring back the strays”. (Ezekiel 34: 16). We are His people and He is our God. (Ezekiel 34:31).
    This has been a great Sunday lesson about evil. Yvonne, thank you for all your posts, especially Sunday words of wisdom.
    May we pray constantly for the lost sheep, to ward off evil, for the Lords hand of protection upon us and our elected leaders, and President Trump & V.P. Mike Pence. Pray for our great country to return to God. “Then they will know that
    I am the Lord their God”. “The Lord Is There”. (Ezekiel). Jehovah Shammah

  59. Lynne Johnson says:

    God calls on us to fear no evil. God calls on us to not judge. God calls on us to love. God is with all of us always. We need to pray for understanding.

  60. Great devotional, Yvonne. Thank you. When I saw the title of the post, I thought to myself, “the absence of God”. Then I started reading, and it made me smile. Love when it is obvious that sisters/brothers in the Lord are getting rich theological teaching! I’m thankful that He is blessing you, your business, and us (by way of you)!

  61. Amen! Praying for our President, leaders, unsaved loved ones and friends. Enjoying your posts. Thanks!

  62. Thank you for your Sunday message. You express your faith to Our Lord and God so well and I appreciate your sharing it with us.

  63. Paula Anderson says:

    Beautifully said, Yvonne! Such a refreshing change to see a blogger who isn’t afraid to share the Word. Thank you!

  64. Well said. Everyone needs God in their lives. Sadly, today, so many of our young people think they are in charge, and don’t need God. I;m glad you touched on this topic, because Someone Greater than us want to be part of our lives, if we just let Him.

    So much evil exists on TV shows and movies, as well as video games, and yes, the internet, too. All of this affects our young people in a negative way. Parents need to preview everything their children read and watch. Thankfully, I know many parents who do.

    Bless you, Yvonne, for including God in your blog!

  65. diana egts says:

    You definitely have the gift of teaching thanks for using it

  66. I love the way you talk about God, it is inspirational to my life. Your blog amazing, there is a little be everything that a women needs. God bless you!

  67. Julie Trygar (JT) says:

    I love what you have done with Stone Gable! I am a Christian who loves her Heavenly Father! I love that your site has our God, beautiful decorating, delicious recipes & more! I discovered you about 5 months ago & I have been reading everything on your site, old & new. Thank you for this beautiful blessing, called Stone Gable! Much Love & an abundance of God’s Blessings!
    JT ??????????

  68. Forgiveness, by the Grace of God!