“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, And his ears are open unto their prayers: But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” 1 Peter 3:12

God knows those who trust in Him when things go bad. He listens to His people and sends help. But God knows the evil too. He hears and sees them too, but He sends them no help.

But someone might say it doesn’t sound like God to turn away even from an evil person. Maybe even the evil people need His help They do need His help and that’s not in question. And God loves and does good to the evil and the just. But here we have evil people who don’t repent and only bring to Him the cries of someone like Esau who sought God’s blessing but without repentance, Heb 12:17. He sought it with tears but there was no repentance, no goodness in Him. God has no plan to intervene with extra personal blessings for those who are evil. Ask these people if they would do it again, and in their heart they will say yes.

Paul talks about two kinds of sorrow, but only one is with repentance. God turns His face from those who have the other sorrow that comes from an unrepentant person.

God discerns the thing that’s behind the outward show. And He turns His face away from unrepentant people.

James 4 talks to Christians and asks them why they have so much trouble and strife in their lives? He said it is because these people are divided and not committed to God. They believe there is a God, but they do not trust in God. They are double minded so that James says they need to purify themselves and wash their hands. James says to people like this who don’t really trust in God but are always doubting that they shouldn’t expect they will receive anything from God, James 1.

Ask yourself if your intent today is to do good or evil? Asked another way, will God be helping you today or will God turn His face away from you? God knows your answer.

Categories: evil, Faith, heart, prayer heard, repentance, trust God