Believers can strengthen the hands of the wicked by approving of their works or remaining silent concerning their God’s view of those wicked works.
Sin causes a man's strength to fail. On the contrary, "the way of the LORD is strength to the upright." Man's choice to sin will eradicate his strength.
Man is not promised an endless supply of strength for him to store up. Rather, God promises to provide the necessary grace and strength for the present trials.
Throughout man’s sordid history, people have mocked, rejected, and forsaken the Lord. They have chosen to look to gods that cannot save or help.
In spite of all that God has done for man, men still refuse to have respect for Him. The Lord never has nor ever will compete for respect from man.
No man is to be respected above another person in a form of unrighteous judgment. However, does not infer nondiscrimination in every matter.
Do you want God's respect? The Lord said, “to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
Although there are times where God respects some while rejecting others, God’s acceptance of one and rejection of another is never a baseless respect.
There are few sights and sounds like that of a majestically flowing river. For this reason, the Lord promised His people that they would have “been as a river” through simple obedience. This analogy using the river not only speaks of quality but also of quantity. Israel's obedience would bring a peace similar to the calming effect of a flowing river. This peace would also be quantitatively associated to the vast amounts of water which flow down a river. The Lord reaffirmed this truth when He said of Jerusalem, “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river” (Isaiah 66:12). This peace too was dependent upon the obedience of the people of God. Unfortunately, for most people, life is more like the raging waves of the sea rather than the pristine flowing waters of a river. God in His grace desires to reward the obedient with peace like a river, but disobedience has its own set of unmanageable outcomes.
Believers understand why the world seems completely oblivious to its true need. Yes, the world needs peace but not the peace they suspect – absence of war! Bible students recognize that trusting Jesus Christ is the means whereby individuals can quench their thirst for peace. This knowledge of the truth carries with it a grave responsibility along with a marvellous privilege. The scripture points to the beauty of the feet of those that “bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Why are the feet mentioned as being so beautiful? The feet of the man carry him to publish peace. Similar phraseology appears in Nahum 1:15. Those who know God's peace are blessed with the responsibility and granted the opportunity to take that message of peace to others.
