From or Unto Evil? (Poem)

See the Prayer and Praying Series here

‘From evil, deliver us’, The Lord taught us to pray,

Thus many of us do, but like me, have you noticed,

Evil is increasing, and …it ain’t going away?!

So in our prayers, should we stop or must we persist??

Across the world many protests have raged,

Citizens aggravated by folks who’re guiding

their ‘ships of state’.

By evil policies, the masses caged,

Behind nepotism’s, cronyism’s and despotism’s gates!

Yet Paul once stated, ‘Rulers are a terror to evil,

But they’re not a terror to good works’.

They’re God’s ministers for good, avengers against evil.’ ¹

Yet today, they’re in it …for the perks!

As an authority for good, God desired government,

Lest anarchy overtakes a land.

But now, with evil, most governments are in alignment!

Thus the world sinks in evil’s quicksand.

So what happened? What made governments flip?

In each aspect of life, we now find ourselves,

On the opposite end of God’s design script,

And this is exactly what His Word foretells.

Without restraints, we’re lovers of pleasure and self,

Greedy for gain at anybody’s expense.

When empowered, we infect government itself,

Till the plot thickens, and there’s …no more pretense.

In truth and in essence, governments can only mirror,

Societies from which those who govern are drawn.

Thus, of societies, governments are …just their picture.

To expect more is simply …an oxymoron!

‘But for conscience sake,’ Paul further encouraged,

That we be subject to governing authority. ²

But when by evil our conscience is ravaged,

Why be shocked when governments act …un-conscionably?!

Dare we ask more of governments than of ourselves,

Forgetting governments are simply ‘we, the people’?!

Thus, here’s one thing the righteous and just Lord assures:

Any people will get …the government they deserve.

Friends,

In The Lord’s calculus, it’s your own personal evil,

That serves as your own personal avenue,

To much b-r-o-a-d-e-r evil whose nature is collateral.

Your evil attracts other folks' evil to you! ³

Only when you repent, and turn from your evil, personal,

Is God authorized to deliver you from evil’s ‘virus’.

His plan is to deliver you from its tight grip, powerful,

But not necessarily from its presence, ubiquitous.

Refusing to repent and turn from your evil, personal,

You cease being a citizen, and become a ‘shitizen’, ⁴

Spewing sin seeds that will grow fruits

with impacts, collateral,

Impacts that may one day touch those

to whom power is given.

With this insight, search deeply in crevices of your heart,

And find your very personal answer to these key questions:

Would it be just, righteous or smart for God to do His part,

While you continue holding onto your own evil gremlins?

How can He answer our ‘Deliver us from evil’ prayer,

When unto evil, we deliver ourselves?!

Before protesting other folks’ evil that us all ensnare,

Best we first deal with our own evil affairs!

Agree?

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¹ See: Romans 13

² For the well-being of our conscience

³ See: Why? (Q&A)

⁴ See: Shitizen. Thought I had created a new term, but was surprised to see this! ;o)