No Evil Will Befall Thee Series

Psalm 91 - No Evil Will Befall You

We read in Psalm 91:10, “So nothing bad will happen to you. No diseases will come near your home.” (ERV)

We have understood from our previous study that this promise of God as mentioned in the verse above, that ‘no diseases will come near your home,’ holds good for those who have made God their dwelling place. In other words, this can be appropriated by anyone who trusts in the Lord at all times.

Some of us may wonder as to how it is possible for one to say that no evil will befall us, when we are surrounded with so many calamities all around us. If we were to ask anyone to define what evil is, this would probably be their response. Most people would refer to evil as any sad, depressing or painful incident that happens in their lives. The reason we refer to these as evil is because we are unaware of what their outcome would be in the future.

Let us study the life of a young man in the bible, who was challenged with such hardships and trials in succession. However as this young man stood firm in his faith in the Lord, he not only overcame these calamities, but also by his faith in God, received the fulfillment of God's promises in his life.

Joseph was thrown in a pit

We read in Genesis 37:23-24, “So when Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his special robe with long sleeves. Then they took him and put him into an empty cistern. It had no water in it.” (GW)

Joseph belonged to a family of sheep herders. He was the favorite son of his father Jacob. One day when his elder brothers had gone away to a distant place to tend their flock, Joseph was sent by his father to take food for his brothers. God endowed Joseph with the gift of having dreams and also comprehending their meaning. When the brothers of Joseph saw him from afar they plotted to do away with Joseph, simply because of the dreams that Joseph had which he shared with them earlier. Those dreams seemed to imply that someday Joseph would rule over them. Though they initially schemed to kill him, they later decided to throw him into a dry pit which was precisely what they did. If we were to ponder on the awful situation that Joseph had landed in, we would assume that nothing good would ever come of it.

The reason for Joseph’s predicament was that his brothers were envious of him. Jealousy is a powerful emotion and when it takes over a person, it instigates them to do evil to the one whom they are envious of.

We read in Proverbs 27:4, “Anger is cruel and destructive, but it is nothing compared to jealousy.” (GNB)

Here’s a simple illustration from children at school. If one child should have an expensive school bag that is really attractive, other children will look on that child enviously. Sadly, this emotion is found not only in children, but in many an adult too. As grown-ups we may envy the new car that our neighbor bought inwardly, but outwardly we may cover it up and say nice things to them about their purchase. However, if that neighbor’s new car should have a slight scratch on its sides, this jealousy that is hidden inside will exhibit itself by way of a subtle sense of joy over the mishap, instead of a sense of sadness. No wonder the word of God refers to jealousy as an emotion far more cruel and destructive than anger.

It is good for us to take a check to see if there is jealousy remotely hidden inside of us. When someone is doing better than us, is placed in a better job, has better looks this feeling of envy will often be evidenced within us. In order to overcome this feeling of jealousy, we must learn to be thankful to the Lord for all that He has bestowed on us. One should not think that envy is an emotion that is prevalent in many and hence can be ignored. The truth is that if left unchecked jealousy can prompt people to do things that are totally displeasing to God and harmful to others.

When was the last time we stopped to thank God for His manifold blessings that He has showered on us? In the last six months with the onset of the pandemic, so many have succumbed to it. However, if we are still alive and well it is the absolute grace of God. Instead of comparing ourselves with others, let us look at our own lives and be grateful to the Lord for every good thing we have received from His loving hands.