Devotional: Good for Evil

Good for Evil

Righteousness is right-standing with God; the ability to stand before Him without guilt or inferiority as if we had never sinned. It is man's most precious gift ever received from God. And then like the shoot that springs from a seed and produces a mighty tree, our right-standing with God produces a way of righteous living that gives glory to the One who put the seed in our heart. It is the product of righteousness.

David said, "The Lord reward me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands, He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me; and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also blameless before Him, and I have kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyes" (2 Samuel 22:21-25).

Sometimes we have to pass the test of righteousness. David had more than one opportunity to kill King Saul, but he would not. Instead, in the face of criticism and doubt, he declared his loyalty to God and did what was pleasing in His sight. Then, from a grateful heart David sang praises to God - and that is where we find these words. In his song of thanksgiving, David declared God's faithfulness to reward righteousness. If taken out of context, we might wonder if he was being prideful using the words "my righteousness." Our right-standing with God is His gift to us and never something we can own or parade as if we had earned it. We must be cautioned that dependance on our own ability is cousin to pride.
But David is not guilty of flaunting his right-standing with God. He is simply declaring what God has already stated. "The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward" (Proverbs 11:18). A reward is something given or done in return for good. God rewards His children for doing what is right much like we do in the natural for our own kids. I like the Amplified version of this scripture: "The wicked man earns deceitful wages, but he who sows righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) shall have a sure reward [permanent and satisfying]." That's the kind of reward we should desire - permanent and satisfying versus fleeting and temporal.

Even King Saul, who was operating in deception and wickedness, recognized God's reward for doing what is right. After the first time David found him and spared his life, Saul said, "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day" (1 Samuel 24:17-19).

Saul himself prayed God would reward David for the kindness he extended to him. And maybe that's the moral we should learn from this account: return good for evil (show kindness even when mistreated). One author said there is an understanding that evil is not absolute and good is often an occasion rather than a condition. That's a sad conclusion, isn't it? Absolute means to be free from restriction or limitation. With that part, I must agree that evil is never restricted or limited - if man can imagine it, he can perform it. Centuries past have proven this fact.

But is good only an occasion rather than a condition? I disagree. I realize there are people and places where good is hard to find - but not with God's people. Remember the seed of righteousness? That same seed contains goodness, kindness, love, and peace despite the conditions surrounding it. Therefore, the righteous, God-fearing man or woman has no excuse for not showing good for evil. They know their reward is not from man, but from God. They know that what is endured privately shall be rewarded openly... in time. "Therefore, having been justified [given right-standing with God] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:1-5).

The hope Paul was speaking of is confident expectation of reward - God's favor and approval. But what is most amazing is that God practiced on us first - returning good for evil. "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8). It almost seems like we were rewarded before we deserved it...? What a marvel idea!