II Thessalonians 3:2
“and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.”
Paul encountered some bad people in his travels. 2 Timothy 4:14, 15 speaks of one such person, “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.”
Why was Alexander so committed to stopping Paul? He was trying to protect his profession. He crafted idols and the message of the gospel proclaimed them powerless and to be avoided. While this is understandable, there are some professions that are ungodly.
This individual placed money ahead of the truth. That’s the definition of idolatry. When anything is placed ahead of God, bad things result. There are several people in the bible who opposed the Lord. Pharaoh was one. His actions led to the destruction of his army, the Egyptian economy and the loss of his oldest son. The jealous counselors who plotted against Daniel. They took his place in the lion’s den. Lastly the religious leaders in the New Testament. They were warned that they should be careful, for they may find themselves opposing God (Acts 5:39).
These individuals are believers in their cause and they commit much energy towards it. This is unfortunate. So much energy, time and resources are invested in evil. This was the state Paul was in before his conversion. Acts 9:1,2 says, “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”
We may have people in our lives who oppose the truth. Paul prays to be rescued from them. We should pray about this. However, some people can’t be avoided. They may be coworkers, bosses, neighbors, fellow students and so on. If we aren’t led to change our situation, then God wants us to grow through the difficult circumstances. The Roman government was hostile to christians, yet Paul says that they were allowed to govern by God’s sovereignty. Paul further said that they were to honor and obey the government (Romans 13). The Lord will strengthen us to cope and even thrive amongst bad people.
Jacob lived with and worked for Laban. He sought to cheat Jacob on a constant basis. In spite of this, God prospered Jacob. The Lord took care of him. Laban, his father in law, was in a position of power. Even though he greatly abused it, God took care of Jacob. The Lord will do the same for us. Regardless of the position or power, God will care for and prosper us.
Lord, thank You that You protect and bless us, even in rough circumstances and difficult people.