Let the Wickedness of the Wicked Come to an End

Adenike Morounke Adebola

30/10/2014

"Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." (Psalm 7:9).

By a show of hands, how many of us have prayed with this scripture? I know I have...

Recently, the Holy Spirit has been drawing my attention more and more to this scripture and another one...

"He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise." (Job 5:12).

We should not be ignorant of the devices of the enemy of our souls. He will take advantage of any opportunity to perform his ministry of stealing, killing and destroying. He will use any human agent that he can find (you should refuse to yield yourself as his agent).

All I've said above is not new to a good number of us. The 'new' thing the Holy Spirit revealed is that there is another way the 'wickedness of the wicked' can come to an end that does not involve the death of Haman/Pharaoh/Sennacherib etc. In my opinion, it is a more excellent way.

I'm reminded of Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus. I imagine that the believers in Damascus were already saying their last prayers and preparing for what should have been a sure death. I suspect that a few may have prayed for a divine intervention but God must have still taken them by surprise. They may have felt some vindication if it was reported that Saul was involved in a ghastly/fatal accident on his way to Damascus...that would have been a headliner, right? God refused to be boxed in a corner.

Instead, Jesus appeared to Saul, told him who to go to in order to be saved and the rest became history. The 'wickedness of the wicked' in the lives of the believers came to an end but not in the way one would have projected as a human.

I'm also reminded of the city of Ephesus. A couple of us know the scripture

"So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." (Acts 19:20).

There is a story behind that scripture. Some exorcists were illegally using the name of the Lord in casting out evil spirits. The seven sons of Sceva were the unfortunate ones to suffer the humiliation when the evil spirit asked them for their ID card and they could not present a valid means of identification. Thank God it was just wounds and nakedness that the evil spirit had power to inflict on them. Acts 19:17-19 is very instructive...

"And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver." (Acts 19:17-19).

These people were believers but they were still practicing 'curious arts'? Which deeds did they show? So, there was no fear before? The name of the Lord was not magnified before? I believe that some people who were oppressed by those believers practicing 'curious arts' may have cried out to God, asking that the 'wickedness of the wicked' should come to an end. They may have been waiting to hear about the death of their oppressors. God refused to be boxed into a corner! The 'wickedness of the wicked' came to an end but it did not result in the death of the oppressors. An evil spirit helped in firing revival in a city with double standards...An evil spirit was instrumental in the growth of the Word of God such that IT PREVAILED!

 Let us pray...

Dear Lord, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end in any way You choose.  Establish us, Your daughters. Beautify our lives. Annoint us with the oil of gladness. Establish us as oaks of righteousness in Your courts, Lord. Try our hearts and reins, Father. Purge us of uncleanliness and filth. May Your word continue to grow and prevail in our lives and in all that concerns us, in Jesus Name. Amen!