Good vs Evil
Posted by Karah
Pause
Be honest with God about the things that are distracting you from focusing on Him today. Ask Him to clear your head of these thoughts so you can focus on His Word.
Think about your favorite movies or books that deal with the battle between good and evil. Jot down a few titles below in the comments!
Good and evil aren’t foreign concepts in Scripture. As Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, He was clear that a time would come when good and evil would be sorted out. Read Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 in your Bible. Underline the imagery that symbolizes the good and circle the imagery that symbolizes evil.
“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin and those guilty of lawlessness. They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears should listen!”—Matthew 13:41-43
According to Jesus’ explanation, He identified Himself as the sower and the good seed as “sons of the kingdom” (v. 31), meaning those who believe in Him and are part of His kingdom. The weeds symbolize those who continually do evil and pursue sin.
-Jesus said that the field symbolized the world. Knowing this, what do these verses teach you about good and evil in the world you live in?
-What does this passage teach you about what will eventually happen to those who have placed their faith in Christ? Those who have continually pursued sin?
-How does this passage give you hope and help you to rest in God’s faithfulness and trustworthiness? Explain.
Respond
Praise God that no matter how much evil there is, He will eventually triumph over it. Pray about specific examples of evil and sin you see in the world today. Ask Him to give you patience to trust His perfect timing to come and end the evil in this world.
In your journal, record the names of three people in your life who don’t know Jesus. Ask God to give you opportunities to share the truth of His Word with them this week.
Behind the Story
God did not promise a perfect life. In fact, this passage emphasizes that the wheat, representing believers, will be surrounded by weeds of nonbelievers. Simply put, believers will live in the midst of an evil world. Living in a world characterized by sin and evil can become disheartening, but this parable should give hope to believers, assuring them that God’s perfect judgment will come and all that is wrong will one day be made right. The parable simultaneously provides a warning to nonbelievers. God will have final judgment; the evil in this world will be punished.
The Point
We live in an evil world, but as believers, we can be encouraged by God’s faithfulness. He will one day right all that is wrong.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest Alumni and Friends, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Weekly Devotions