Go Green

Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grant you His blessing.

- St. Peter, Peter 3:9

Not everyone will have the heart you have.

Not everyone will appreciate you and what you do for them.

It won't be easy having a kind heart in a cruel world.

Be prepared.

- Anonymous

Some of you right now, like me, are waiting for just the right time to do the right thing in the right way.

We tend to believe that conditions have to be just right in order for us to have the right response.

The truth is, more often than not, it's in the worst of times when the best of responses are needed. In Psalm 52, King David says that the right time to do the right thing is right now!

In 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel has just anointed David as the next King of Israel. The problem is… there's already a king on Israel's throne -- King Saul! So, David's like… "I'm anointed to do something, but the position is not yet vacated"... That is, the conditions don't seem right for a right response just yet. So, David runs.

Threatened by Saul's jealous rage, David flees to Ahimelech, the high priest, who gives him and his men sanctuary. However, Doeg the Edomite, a co-worker of David's, betrays David by telling Saul, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech..." (1Samuel 22:9). Saul then orders Doeg to execute Ahimelech, all his priests and all their families -- men, women and children. It is a despicably evil act. Heart-broken that his friendship with Ahimelech has cost the lives of so many good people, David pens Psalm 52.

Angry words erupt from the heart of David as he calls down God's eternal judgement on his double-dealing Judas:

"You love evil more than good and lies more than truth.

 You love to destroy others with your words, you liar!

But God will strike you down once and for all.

 He will pull you from your home and uproot you from the land of the living."

- Psalm 52:3-5

This is not the kind of psalm you memorize. Some of you know exactly what David's feeling -- you have had a friend, a family member, a co-worker, a business associate who went "Doeg" on you. They stabbed you in the back… betrayed you… spread false lies about you… put you down in order to advance themselves. So… what does David do? He decides to "Go Green!" After his own co-worker throws him under the bus, David says, "But As For Me…

I am like a Green Olive Tree thriving in the House of God:

 I will always trust in God's unfailing love.

I will praise you, forever, O God, for what You have done.

 I will trust in Your Good Name in the presence of your people.

- Psalm 52:8-9

David decides to "Go Green!" "To Go Green" means I can still grow, even in the worst environment -- I can still do the right thing even in the worst conditions. The incredible thing about a green olive tree is that it tenaciously produces new olive shoots every time you cut off the old shoots. The olive tree says,

"Cut me down… I'm still gonna grow!"

"Cut me off… I'm still gonna spring up!"

"Cut me any way you want… But you're dealing with an olive tree and I will Go Green instead of going bitter!"

What David is saying is this: "Even though evil men have cut me off with their words… with their actions… with their power… with their deceit… with their attitudes… with their resources… with their influence… I will still grow!

I will trust in the God of Life who dwells in me by His Spirit, and I will tenaciously produce new and better fruit! I will not retaliate.

I will not seek vengeance. I will not get bitter… I will get better… because God is with me and loves me!" David decides to Grow Green!

800 years later, there was another "son of David" called Jesus the Messiah who was nailed to an Olive Tree and who said,

"Cut me down...And I will rise again!"

"Cut me down...And I'll forgive you!"

"Cut me down...And I'll still love you!"

"Cut me down...And I'll still save you!"

If, today, you have been cut by someone close to you… and even though, like David, you'd like to go after them and make them pay… even though this is the worst situation you've ever been in… the conditions are horrible…

But your God has given you the capacity, through the Spirit of Jesus who is in you, to Go Green… to think, to speak, to act like God's man… like God's woman… right now!

Listen, even in totally unfavorable conditions, you can Go Green! You can grow! When we give our hurtful situations to Jesus, He will take every cut and turn it into new life! Maybe, right now, in these horrible conditions, you need to pray…

Dear Jesus,

I have been hurt… bad… by someone who was supposed to love me.

I felt the cut… you saw the cut.

I surrender to you my angry desire to make them pay.

Help me to "Go Green"!

I want to grow through this and do for them what You did for me!

Then… let me see and feel the new life you will bring through my obedience to You!

AMEN

Pastor Harry

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