DELIVER US FROM EVIL

As I watch the news from Israel and actually see the horrific scenes of the brutality of women being raped,

families murdered, people assassinated in the streets, tiny body bags and burned homes, I come to place I do not want to come: there is evil and there are humans who manifest this evil.

As a therapist for 36 years I have seen my 'fair' share, if there is such a thing, of human evil. The narcissist who

takes his wife to custody court over and over just because he can. The abusive parent. The con artist. A murder of a young man who had just become a father. The list goes on and on. You probably have your own list, right?

But it always comes as a surprise. I am such a Pollyanna. Don't know what that means, Google Disney movies.

It is a person, or perhaps a nation, that just can not accept that people can do the unimaginable to other human beings. Think of Germans before Hitler's Final Solution.

But, last Saturday, Israel and the world got another slap in the face to bring us to reality.

The original prayer, called the "Our Father' or 'The Lord's Prayer', actually said, 'deliver us from the Evil One'.

Evil in the Christian faith is a being. This being is the Enemy of Yahweh, our God. This Evil One hates God's covenant people, Israel and the Jews. Evil humans can not just leave their hate alone. They must and will act upon it. They may wait to take action, but they will have their revenge.

What can we do?

We must rely on the Almighty, the Holy One, the truly Greatest God in the Universe ( not Allah), to deliver us (keep us safe from, protect us) this Enemy. Only Yahweh is powerful enough to destroy the Evil One, once and for all. As a Christian, I believe the blood of Jesus has the power to do this.

Jesus said, "In this world (ruled by the Evil One) we will have tribulation, but fear not, I have overcome the world (beaten the Enemy of My Father.)". We must trust in Jesus.

So, pull out this very old prayer. Walk into your prayer closet. Cry out to Adonai and plead for His deliverance from the Evil One's grasp on the Promised Land, Israel, and on any areas of your life today where you need deliverance, protection, and His grace. He wears the Victor's crown!