Godly Living in an Ungodly Age
America has gone a long way down the wrong road by moving away from its spiritual heritage. This is not a new story. After ravaging the land of Israel, the Babylonian army had forced its captives to march toward a land of exile and a terrifying future. Depressed and forlorn, the Hebrews discarded their musical instruments. There was no song left in their hearts.
The Book of Psalms is frequently read for comfort. It’s the hymnbook of the Bible. We turn to it often because of the wide range of moods and experiences found there. Many Psalms were produced during periods of national crises and personal hardship in the case of David, Israel’s greatest king. We delight in his successes – his youthful triumph over the Philistine giant Goliath, his rise from shepherd boy to monarch, and his victories over Israel’s foes. But David was also a man of unbearable sorrow. Unjustly accused of treason, he was forced to live for years as a fugitive. At one point in his reign, his own nation turned against him as one of his son’s attempted a coup. David knew personal suffering and national crises.
No one is exempt from the touch of tragedy: neither the Christian nor the non – Christian; neither the rich or the poor; neither the leader nor the commoner. Crossing all racial, social, political, and economic barriers, suffering reaches out to unite mankind. But we can take refuge in Jesus Christ who gives hope to face each day, and His Word, the Bible, is filled with hope. Read it and believe it. I recommend Titus 1.
Our Founding Fathers created a governing framework based upon biblical principles. Slowly, we have changed from “one nation under God’ to a group of people who no longer want Him to be involved.
Tragically, we’ve become, in numerous ways, an ungodly nation: many are driven by materialism and power, immorality and rebellion are prevalent; empty philosophy and false doctrine are widely acceptable. Underlying it all is a vocal decision to take God out of the nation’s “official business.”
Yet even in an unbelieving society, people can, as individuals, follow Jesus. But the world will continually disseminate faulty teachings, so believers must be discerning. Otherwise, erroneous messages can lead Christians to compromise their convictions. Then affections and priorities may change. Don’t let the world’s clamor make the Spirit’s voice less audible. Without His guidance, our minds become vulnerable to lies.
The Word of God is a compass that keeps us headed in the right direction – even in the midst of confusing messages all around. We need to be consistently filled with truth by reading, believing, meditation upon, and applying Scripture. God also tells us to “pray without ceasing.” If our minds are focused upon Him, unholy beliefs will not be able to take root.
The Word is our guidebook. We still face difficulty as we live in this imperfect world – it is a confusing, dark place that entices us but never fulfills our true longings. Yet God’s truth will bring confidence and boldness, and His Spirit will direct and strengthen, enabling us to live victoriously.