It is an interesting matter that we are not very apt at assessing the true nature and reality of wickedness. Some things we seem to see quite clearly: murder, abortion, adultery and such, but did you know that there are other aspects of wickedness that are every bit as despicable that we embrace all too often?
In the story of David's numbering of Israel we see such an event. All he did was take a census of his militia. Joab saw the wickedness of this act but David was oblivious to it. The story is recorded in 1 Chronicles 21. As a result of this act seventy thousand men died.
David's sin was the act of moving his trust from God to his personally held assets. If you take time to read the story you will find early on that it was Satan who was credited with such a subtle and deadly temptation. It makes me wonder about our trust in things like, jobs, bank accounts, retirement accounts or maybe church programs, reputations, buildings or scores of other things we tend to rely upon these days. I wonder if Psalm 62 didn't flow out of this event in David's life:
Psalm 62:5-6 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. (KJV)
So what are you trusting in these days? God has given us a delightful land to live in, it is the land of His providential and loving attention and care; it is a wicked thing to leave this place!
Matthew 6:24-33 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)
