“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” .. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) ..
Since America’s last presidential election, we are certainly witnessing an increasingly disturbing division amongst the general populace .. Numbers indicate that our nation is politically split down the middle – half good with the general direction, the other half, not .. In fact, many of the ‘nots’ are so upset that they’ve descended upon the streets of the cities across this land proclaiming racism, sexism, and a myriad of many other ‘isms’ .. Even many college-age students are curling up in their ‘freedom from fear’ sanctuaries sucking their thumbs while wrapped up in their blankies .. Simply, we have evolved into a sad state of affairs, to say the least ..
Allow me to share with you a very brief bit of recent history, using my own experiences as a guide .. Basically, it is an overview of how the collective minds of the multitudes shifts with the tides of the times .. I will start with my joining the military in 1960 at age 18 (yes, I’m old) .. It was a time of relative peace in the world .. About a year later, I was assigned to a ship .. We soon set sail for the Far East, the ultimate destination being Australia .. But then something changed .. Our military was now beginning its entrance into the Vietnam war .. And, you guessed it, instead of Australia, we turned right in the South China Sea and went to that war-torn country .. We ended up serving for some 19 months ..
Back home, this war was becoming more & more unpopular by the day .. In fact, so much so that many of us who voluntarily served were spit upon when returning home .. Needless to say, it didn’t do a whole lot concerning our patriotism at that time ..
Also taking place during that era of unrest in the nation were demonstrations involving ‘peace marches’ – disgruntled hordes in the streets voicing their support of peace & love while burning down buildings & destroying the ‘normalcy’ of life as we’d come to know it ..
Fast-forwarding to today, we see similarities in the overall consensus of the masses .. Once again, the people are in the streets because they didn’t get their way .. They now want the latest President & his cohorts thrown out of office so they can have their perceived agendas fulfilled .. And once again, we are seeing violence & death threats cast towards those who have chosen not to follow their ways ..
When contemplating these two different periods of unrest, we can observe some distinct hypocrisies .. In the 1960s situation, the points of revolt were based upon ‘peace & love’, again while burning down cities .. Today, those protesting argue that we need to be more accepting, less judgmental .. words like ‘inclusion’ & ‘diversity’ are the general buzz words thrown out .. and it is all good, that is until they don’t get their way .. And, as per usual, as history proves out, all hell breaks loose ..
Here’s my point .. It has always been this way, in varying degrees of course .. In the approximately 6,000 years of human history, no governmental system has prevailed for very long .. Somebody always comes up with ‘a better way’ .. And the prevailing culprit always seems to be that people, when becoming more & more powerful, choose only to follow their own agendas at the expense of anybody or anything that gets in their way .. The bottom line is that as long as people are in charge, whatever they represent will NEVER last for very long ..
Having witnessed just a brief glimpse of this truth in my years here on this earth, & then studying the history of those before me, the ONLY source I’ve come to depend on is the Holy Bible .. In many passages, it has summed up this human dilemma quite precisely .. Here’s just one example ..
“There is none righteous, no, not one; 11) there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. !2) They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. 13) Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; 14) whose mouth is of cursing and bitterness. 15) Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16) destruction and misery are in their ways; 17) and the way of peace they have not known. 18) There is no fear of God before their eyes.” .. Romans 3:10-18 (NKJV)
When sizing all this up, for those who put their hope & faith in the ways of man, the result ALWAYS ends up in fear & consternation for the masses .. Isn’t that what we are witnessing in America today, and for the rest of the world as well? .. No human system, be it Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, or any other ism will EVER satisfy the masses! .. Someone, or some thing, will always raise its deceptive head to change the course of things ..
So what’s left? .. Where do we go from here? .. Where do we put our hope? .. Obviously, you know where I’m going with this .. The Bible tells us that very, very soon, the Son of God is coming back to this beleaguered planet to ‘once & for all’ fix the mess we’ve all assisted in creating .. It will be a Theocracy ruled by just one, & that is Jesus Christ! .. Hallelujah! .. In the meantime, we need to do our best to ‘survive’ in the system where God has placed us .. That means praying for those who He has ultimately put in charge .. We also need not fear or be in trepidation as to what or when it all comes about .. Just remember .. IT WILL! ….
Jesus told us that we who become His followers (the remnant) will not be very popular in this world .. He says it clearly in John 15:18-19 .. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. 19) If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
I leave you with this .. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” .. John 14:27 (NKJV) .. Enough said ..
Until next time,
Red