“No evil shall befall thee.” By happenstance or coincidence Psalm 91:10 came up on the day after the evil church shooting in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 5, 2017, where some 26 good people were killed. Certainly “evil befell” these families. How can this verse, or any verse, give comfort to those good families?
This is the comfort: this evil, or bad thing, that happened is not the last word (the resurrection is the last word); this evil thing is not eternal, for the pain will end and one day God will wipe away the tears. There will be temporary, physical pain and “evil” that befalls us and loved ones will be lost along the way. But that is not the end: spiritual victory, comfort and joy triumphs over all evil: this is the end and this is the promise.
This may sound like an empty promise, to say no “eternal” evil, instead of “no present evil, will befall you.” It is not a cop-out, but it is real, serious, and truly comforting. And every “evil that befalls” is in reality a reminder of the eternal promise and certain hope that Jesus earned for us. Evil cannot and will not overwhelm us or overcome us. In the end, we win; we look at the things that are eternal.
There is no comfort in getting an answer to the “why.” But there is comfort in knowing the End, the Last Word, the Final Answer is: “No evil shall befall thee.”