When you chase the wrong thing…Be careful! It might turn around and catch you!

Probing Proverbs 11:27 If you search for good, you will find favor; but if you search for evil, it will find you!

There is a true story concerning a thief in London that broke into world renown confectionary. 

The "goodies " we're very expensive and delicious. In a very short time the thief had been apprehended. Wondering how they captured him so quickly the police explained they followed the candy wrappers right to his front door.

Many people seem to believe that evil is just "coincidental" - but the Word of God does not present evil in that way. There are many things we do not understand concerning the spiritual realm. 

Sadly, many think of the spiritual realm as some fantasy or sci-fi movie. Nothing but a superstitious reaction to the physical realm. God's Word warns of evil as almost a living entity. This is not mystifying it; it is helping us understand that the spiritual realm is very different from the physical realm. What we do in the physical realm - our actions - May be judged good or evil, but that does not explain how we got there. The Scriptures make it clear that there is another reality that we do not see with our eyes.

Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

We see what the scenes are, but only if we are sensitive to the Spirit of God will we see behind the scenes! That is the spiritual realm where powers for good and evil operate. We are even exhorted in Scripture to be very discerning when it comes to this realm. 

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

This Proverb exposes a very frightening truth concerning how evil works in this realm. It points out that those that proactively seek good will be blessed, however, those that seek evil will not have to worry about finding it, because it will come after them! In the spiritual realm, evil appears to have a will of it’s own. When it knows it is wanted, it is aggressive in its approach to its prey! Whatever makes evil, “evil”, its behavior is patterned after its author: 

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

This is not some movie made to scare you; it is a fervent warning from the God that loves you. If you willingly move toward evil, it will turn and pursue you! For the most part God has extended His love to all humans to allow them the freedom of choice. In most cases He will allow you to go in the direction you choose, even though that is not His desire. This is a supreme show of love, respecting our choice. However, even though we are free to choose, we are not free to escape the consequences of that choice. Some think God does not care, clearly, they show their ignorance of Scripture. The Word is packed with verses that show God’s desire for us to make the right choice. Jesus expressed it so well as He looked at Jerusalem right before His death:

Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

It amazes me how God gets blamed for the consequences we humans experience because of the evil we pursue. We act as though our evil will only impact the guilty, so we blame God for all the suffering of those that are innocent. We hoard food, money and wealth and then blame God for starving nations. What is so ironic is some of the loudest voices are the “elite” stars of this world that have 10 to 1000 times the money they need to live, yet they do not see how their greed for what they can have, if shared could feed thousands of children. God does not resent those that make a lot of money, but is it fair that they run around labeling everyone else as selfish and greedy and they themselves keep most of what they have for themselves, while also labeling God as being unfair?

Of all of us, God understands how evil works and He always encourages those that are in danger to be aware of it and change their direction. Consider what God said when He saw that Cain was pursuing evil:

Genesis 4:6–7 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

As difficult as it is to deal with the spiritual realm for those of us that live in the physical realm, we must not lose heart. God can open our spiritual eyes and we will see that even though evil may be active, God is even more active! We need to pray as Elisha did and then we will see God’s response to evil! 

2 Kings 6:15–17 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Meditation: How about you? Are you alert to what your flesh desires, or do you just let it happen? When you desire what you know is wrong, what do you do with that desire? Do you have someone in your life that can help you evaluate what you are chasing after? If not, why? If you are a child of God and believe you have a personal Savior, do you also  understand you have a personal enemy.