My daughter calls me her “moral compass.” I am given that title not because I’m so good, but because I try to live by the Word of God. Trust me when I tell you, I’m a failure most days. But my God is not. Which is Who I rely on when my daughter needs me to be her moral compass. I don’t tell her what Shari would do, because in my flesh, I might do something worse. But God will never fail to provide the advice we need when answers fail our earthly wisdom.
Psalm 37:37-40
[37] Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. [38] But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. [39] But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. [40] And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
The Perfect Man
There is none perfect, but Jesus Christ. So when the Bible says “perfect” it’s not referring to sin free, but blameless in a situation. There is a sect of people in most every community that love being in the midst of trouble and pride themselves in making the lives of someone miserable. I don’t understand the mindset. I especially don’t understand it when they claim to be a child of God.
The Psalmist tells us to “mark” the perfect man. Take note of that person that is walking in the ways of Christ because that way is how we ourselves find peace. This morning as I lie in bed and write these words in the wee hours of the morning, such a man came to mind. A preacher who had brought me through a hard time and encouraged my soul when the saved had just about buried me. The saved? Yes! God’s people, who for whatever reason felt they were doing what was right and in the process had me beaten as low as I could get. They were not mean to my face, they were not even “mean” to my back, but because I disagreed with their doctrine, they hung me out to dry and prayed that I would blow away. And so I did. But those were people that I had earlier marked as “perfect.” Not perfect people, but walking in the ways of Christ in such a manner that I wanted to follow their example.
So what changed? In them, I really don’t know. Perhaps they were not as good as I had once thought, or perhaps that just went off the rails, but praise God, someone still on that train to Glory got me back in line. If you’re struggling, find that conductor of glory!
The Imperfect Man
The Psalmist tells us in verse 38 that the day of the wicked is coming when God will take care of them. And the Apostle Paul tell us in Romans 16:17 to mark them as well.
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Paul doesn’t tell us to retaliate, he tells us to simply “mark them.” Just as we’re not to puff up those who are living for God, meaning to put more emphasis on them, but rather mark them as an example of how we too should live. But the evil, we need to mark and avoid them. That is wonderful advice. And advice that I do not always heed. I sometimes mark them and rehash their ill intent to the point that vengeance is in the forethought of my mind, knowing that God does not intend it to be so.
Oh, I’m imperfect!
This was a struggle this past week when people set their sights on a few people in my life and my fleshly reaction was to mark them and think, “I’ll get my chance to nail you one of these days.” And then those “nails” in the cross came to mind when Jesus said “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” The people in Jesus’ day and the people in my world knew that what they were doing pleased their flesh. It made them feel powerful and in control. But the reality of it was, they were in God’s sights.
When I think about God turning His back on Christ as He hung there on the cross, I can’t imagine why. Until I think about God’s power and strength and what His reaction may have been as He watched His Son suffer the death of crucifixion. What power it would have taken as He looked on at the anguish mankind had inflicted on Christ, Who was literally dying for their sins. He could have wiped the earth clean of them all. That’s probably what I would have done. But God allowed it, because every single person on the earth was flawed, and filled with sin. They had no concept of being sin free and attempted to destroy He who was sin free because of the conviction they felt at His words.
Is it any different today? Tell someone they’re wrong and see if you’ve made a new friend.
The Perfected Man
We’ll never be perfect, but through the Spirit of God we have the strength to overcome the flesh.
[39] But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. [40] And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Isn’t the love of God amazing. That even though we are no better than any one sinner on earth, through His righteousness He sees us as perfectly sin free. And He’ll not only deliver us from the wicked but He’ll give us that perfect peace that the world tries to steal, because we simply trust in Him. We don’t deserve it any more than the most wicked person on earth. But God in His Holiness cleans us and sits us on the side of Heaven.
The wicked cannot steal what is not on earth to have. True peace comes only from God and cannot be found nor stolen by earthly measures. Buddy that’ll preach!!!! Have a blessed day.