This past week, three people I knew had their lives snuffed
out for no good reason. Two lives were
ended at the hand of another, and one took their own life. This world is a dark place. We seem to be continually trying to improve
things, and they seem to keep getting worse.
I love in the Bible where it mentions the devil, referring to him as “that
old serpent”. He is certainly that old
serpent. Working evil in the hearts of
all who will let him. Convincing people
that life isn’t worth living. Planting
seeds of doubt in the minds of Christians.
Justifying evil as long as it’s for a good cause. Oh, he is at work, my
friends, and working hard. And we are
letting him. We are letting things slide
when we need to stand up and shout that they are wrong. We are justifying bad things that are wrapped
up with good deeds.
Where has our love for God and country gone? Where are those people who, on September 11,
2011, said “We will not go silently into the night. We will band together because we ARE AMERICA!”?
Where are the parents who sacrifice so
their kids can know the meaning of true love?
Where are the parents who do what is best for their children and not
what is best for the parents? What has
happened to discipline? Believe it or
not, there is good in setting boundaries and enforcing them. A quick swat on a child’s bottom gets their
attention and lets them know their behavior is not appropriate. It is good for our kids to NOT get everything
they want. Life is not fair, and though
we want the best for them, sometimes the best thing is letting them see that
unfairness and helping them to deal with it.
Where have our social skills gone? We can talk smack about everyone on social
media, but we can’t walk into a business and ask for a job. We have lost the ability to converse with
others. We have lost good manners. Please and thank you haven’t gone out of
style. Looking someone in the eye when
speaking to them is still effective. People
still want to be valued and appreciated.
Not for what they have, but for who they are. Kindness and doing what’s right is never
wrong. It always pays dividends.
So many people are living in desperation, searching for
something to fill a void in their lives.
Some try alcohol and some try drugs.
Some can’t bear another day and take their own lives. We are all searching for that mystery “something”. But I can promise you it’s not in a bottle of
whiskey or at the end of a straw or syringe.
It’s been here all along, but people haven’t looked in the right place
for it. God is the answer. The only answer. The only answer to all of the questions. He is the father to the fatherless. He loves beyond measure. He gives peace in
your heart that you won’t find anywhere else.
If you are searching in the darkness for something that
fills your void, choose God. He promises
to give us peace and joy and eternal life in Heaven with Him, if only we’ll
ask. It isn’t hard, it doesn’t come with
conditions, and you don’t have to get your life in order first. He takes the broken, the weary, the wounded,
and picks them up, brushes them off, and sets them on a path filled with
love. He doesn’t promise no rain will
fall, but He promises to be with us, carrying us when we can’t walk, knowing
that our reward will come in Heaven. He promises
to wipe away all tears and give us a life more beautiful than we can imagine.
He is the answer. Whatever your question
is right now, HE is the answer. Don’t wait another day to ask God to forgive
you, and come into your heart and save you!
