LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 37:27-28, Turn from evil, and do good; and you will live in the land forever. For the Lord loves justice, and He will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe for ever, but the children of the wicked will perish.

 

God is a loving God. Everyone who has been in church for any length of time knows that. Students of the Bible know He also is a just God. Understanding that answers the questions that people over time have asked about why the unjust prosper and seem to be getting away with every evil in which they seem to prosper. The psalmist tells us to “turn from evil”, that “God does not abandon the godly”, and “the wicked will perish”. There are two choices in these verses: turn from evil or perish!

 

God desires that civilization be ordered and law-abiding – just. The only way that can happen is to walk on the narrow way with Him. Those of us on the narrow way know that this way has plenty of difficulties and temptations. Those walking on the broad way have a “smoother” walk because it is the way of the unjust. But it leads to destruction.  I do not enjoy knowing that judgment is coming to the unjust.

 

Because God is just, He cannot allow sin to go unjudged. The prophet Hosea dealt with a people who were living for themselves, they did not know the Lord, they were full of pride, they did not know the Scriptures to know what He had done for them, and they were hostile to any prophet that preached against their sins. The people rebelled against God, seeking fulfillment in possessions, sinful activities and pleasures and things not in the will of God. The people abandoned God. God withdrew from the people and let them do just what they wanted. That describes our society today as well.

 

I fear for those who have decided their thoughts and way of life is higher than that of God’s. I fear for those who have allowed the lies and deception of the devil to cloud their thinking and there are no consequences for them and they can do as they want. I am back reading and studying the writings of the Minor Prophets because that is the sermon series at the church we attend. As I read, I am amazed at the warnings being given about what will come if people do not stop their sinful ways and return to living as God desires. He desires for all people to have a personal (beyond a head knowledge) acknowledgement of Him in our lives. So, I read that because people are doing their own thing, judgment is coming. Continually the prophet is telling the people to repent; they do not listen to him.

 

In the Bible, judgment came to God’s people. He uprooted and scattered them. He sent evil nations to invade His people and fulfill His promise of judgment. As we consider what is happening in the world and specifically our country, we have to believe judgment is coming here. The Good News is also contained in the verses above: “He will never abandon the godly”! We enter the narrow way through the Good Shepherd and He alone will keep us on the narrow way that leads to eternal life in His kingdom. Share the Good News!