wait – Praying Pint

46.j. “Wilderness” – 10.p. “LORD’s offering at its appointed time”

Num 9:1-13 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the LORD’s offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.” The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the LORD. In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the LORD’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.

It was not a surprise for Israel to hear that Passover must be kept every year. When Passover was first instituted, God told Israel they were to keep it throughout their generations. “The long stay at the base of Mount Sinai was not a time of inactivity or indolence. It was a time of great activity in celebration of the goodness and mercy of the Lord and in preparation for what was expected to have been the soon triumphal march into the land of Canaan.” The blood of the lamb, applied to the door posts of the home, was seen by the angel of God’s judgment – and seeing the blood, the angel “passed over” and spared the home covered by the blood of a lamb. Passover was kept as a continual reminder of this occasion of judgment passed over, and of the deliverance from slavery that followed. Jesus fulfilled the Passover sacrifice by His death on the cross (1 Corinthians 5:7). The covering of His blood causes the judgment of God to “pass over” His people. We are commanded to continually remember our occasion of being spared judgment and the deliverance that followed, by remembering Jesus’ work on the cross through the Lord’s Supper. Israel was properly obedient to God. We don’t find any significant disobedience against God of distrust of Him on Israel’s part in the first 10 chapters of Numbers, while they camped at Mount Sinai. This makes their distrust of God and rebellion against Him even more shocking and without excuse from Numbers 11 on. (Guzik)

But lest any one should pervert this permission, to celebrate the Passover a month later in case of insuperable difficulties, which had only been given for the purpose of enforcing the obligation to keep the covenant meal upon every member of the nation, into an excuse for postponing it without any necessity and merely from indifference, on the ground that he could make it up afterwards, the threat is held out in Numbers 9:13, that whoever should omit to keep the feast at the legal time, if he was neither unclean nor upon a journey, should be cut off. (Keil)

Remembering how God, in the time of judgment, passed over the Israelites is no small thing. God’s judgment was announced and carried out. There was no waiting, no stopping, or turning away from it so that it did not affect those it was intended for. Remembering God in His deliverance, mercy, and grace being saved from the slavery of sin and judgment is upon all who believe. It is no small thing that God has done. It should always be in the front of our minds. He deserves all honor and glory and praise, for He has done great and wonderful things.

37.y. “You have known the distress of my soul”

Genesis 31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

Psalms 124:1-3 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side— let Israel now say—  if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;

1 Chronicles 12:17    David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be joined to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and rebuke you.”

Psalms 31:7    I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul,

Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.

Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.

6 years Jacob endured hardship of the elements and ever-changing terms of his wages (ten times). Laban sought to change Jacobs’s wages in his favor. God was blessing Jacob and when Laban saw this blessing he would try to capitalize on it by changing Jacobs’s wages toward himself to how God was blessing Jacob. Is this any way to treat your nephew? Is this any way to fulfill and live up to a mutually agreed wage contract? Laban wanted what God had blessed Jacob with and was willing to set Jacob’s wages just opposite. He did this 10 times in 6 years.

I have to imagine that the first time God blessed the work of Jacob’s hands, Jacob was in awe of God’s provision and blessing. Can you imagine the feeling Jacob must have had at the first alteration of his wages by Laban? The wages change but the blessings did not. No matter how Laban changed the wages, God’s blessing of the work of Jacob’s hands did not change. Jacob having witnessed this cheating 10 times and the attitude of Laban deteriorating toward him and he is told by an angel of God to return to his homeland, he determines to go back taking his rightful wages. Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Laban, and certainly anyone living here would have seen the blessings of God on Jacob.

We can tell from scripture that Jacob was fully aware of Laban cheating him. Being cheated or trying to be cheated upon never feels good and can affect the heart and mind of the person being cheated, and yet, Jacob continued without recorded complaint. There was no tit for tat on Jacob’s part. This easily could have consumed him and developed into evil intents, bad work ethic, retaliation, etc…. Jacob did not.

We do well to trust God in all things, honor and glorify Him in all things, and give careful thought to how we serve Him in regards to these.

31.p. “O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you”

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Deuteronomy 10:12-13   “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,  and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?

Hosea 6:6   For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 12:6   “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”

Zephaniah 2:3    Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.

Proverbs 21:3   To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Isaiah 1:16-19    Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,  learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.  “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.  If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;

2 Peter 1:5-8   For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalms 73:28    But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

The want to do good needs a foundation. It needs to be based on something firm, lasting, and true. “Doing Good” needs definition. Where are we to find this foundation and definition? What are we to base “good” and “doing good” on? This all depends on where you look and where you are seeking answers from. Worldly good has some benefit but this secular good has little to no eternal foundation. If doing good is for the benefit of another this is good but what is the reason behind the act of goodness? Was it because you feel good after doing it? Was it done because of empathy? Was it a combination of both? Was it done so it could be seen by others and thereby you receive some sort of recognition? The foundation upon which good acts are done is more important. If I do good acts of kindness what is the reason and purpose behind the intentional choice to do them?

The foundation of all good acts should be grounded in the desire to obey and honor and glorify Jesus Christ. It is when this foundation is present in the heart, soul, and mind that the good we do will be for something heavenly and lasting. There is so much to say about being able to discern the leading and being willing led by the Holy Spirit in acts of goodness, but the foundation of all our thoughts, speech, and acts needs to be from a humble and pure heart that believes, trusts, relies, obeys, and follows God’s Word for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

31.b. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God”

Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Proverbs 20:22    Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

Proverbs 24:29    Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.”

Romans 12:17-19   Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15    See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

1 Peter 3:9   Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

If Matthew 5:38 were taken literally at all times, we would have to let everyone take advantage of us. Turning the other cheek would become an encouragement for evil. This isn’t what Jesus had in mind. His vivid examples illustrate His disciples’ need to give up any sense of entitlement to personal revenge, to be purged of the motivation of personal vengeance. By asking them to turn the other cheek, Jesus meant that His disciples should be motivated by love and a desire for the redemption and forgiveness of offenders—even when opposing their actions. What Jesus asks of His followers is not passivity, but surrender of the right to personal revenge. His three radical examples make His point about the attitude we should have toward those who wrong us. Rather than getting even, we should be willing to go to the opposite extreme. We need to be ready to humble ourselves for the kingdom of God. We need to understand that vengeance isn’t ours, but the Lord’s. Defending against physical harm and injury is very different from revenge and the emotional satisfaction of perceived justice at our own hands. An insulting slap, harsh verbal attack, or slanderous accusations can cause us to fall into acts of vengeance out of anger and hatred. We must fight this desire to make someone suffer for the hurt they have verbally done to us. This act of humbleness and humility will honor and glorify Jesus Christ. The world would say we are justified in retaliation. God’s Word says we are not – vengeance is His alone. Retaliation does not bring about peace. Vengeance does not show our love, trust, and reliance on Jesus Christ. Revenge is to deny forgiveness a place in our hearts.

Defending from personal physical harm, defending the weak, protecting the widow and orphan are right and just. Protecting and defending out of love and not retaliation and vengeance. When the act of physical harm is being done or about to be done is when our act of defense is activated. Many times it can be done by simply turning away and fleeing the situation. Other times it requires physical intervention to protect self or others. Letting someone do physical harm to us or others would become an encouragement for evil. Living at peace with all men does not mean we allow physical harm to us or others to go undefended.

Let the Holy Spirit lead your thoughts of discernment in peace so that in all things we think, say, and do Jesus Christ is honored and glorified.

26.d. “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own”

Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Mark 6:6     And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

Psalms 106:13    But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.

Isaiah 29:13     And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Jeremiah 2:12-13     Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD,  for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Romans 10:3   For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

1 Peter 1:15     but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

2 Peter 1:3    His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Someone brought this false gospel to the Galatians. False gospels don’t just happen. People bring them, and the people who bring them may be sincere and have a lot of charisma. It is not as though these deceivers make are proclaiming a new or different Savior. They twist the Gospel and its pure message into something different and that seems true.

The gospel offends our sinful nature of self-pride. It tells us we need a savior, and that we cannot save ourselves. It gives no credit to us at all for our salvation. The gospel offends our sinful nature of self-wisdom. It saves us by something many consider foolish. Third, the gospel offends our sinful self-knowledge. It tells us to believe something which goes against scientific knowledge and personal experience.

There is so much more to being a Christian than knowing about God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing about something does not mean you believe in it, you just know about it. There is a big difference. When the gospel of Jesus Christ is watered down and diluted to the point where you can think that by doing something other than believing in, trusting on, clinging to, and relying on Jesus Christ alone, you are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and will seek to establish their own, not submitting to God’s righteousness.

25.c. “My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.”

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Psalms 73:26    My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isaiah 40:29    He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Psalms 119:81   My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.

Psalms 27:13    I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!

Job 19:26-27   And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,  whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

Isaiah 40:31    but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Psalms 119:71    It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.

Psalms 119:67    Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.

Psalms 73:24    You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.

Having hope and faith in God, and trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Jesus Christ, opens our heart, mind, and soul to eternity. It is not as though we understand it but we are certain of it. We know without a shadow of a doubt that we will be raised from death to life and forever be with Him in His glory. In this understanding, we can rejoice through our flesh is fading away. Can you imagine what it will be like to be in the presence of God and see Him face to face? Standing in the presence of the creator of all there is, the One who knows all of your past and future thoughts and intents, the One who sent His Son to die for you and to redeem you, the one who forgave you of all your sins and has separated them as far as the east is from the west, the One who has taken your blood-red sin-stained soul and washed it white as snow, the One who loved you and made know the mystery of salvation, the One who will raise you up and forevermore you will be with Him in eternity.

We ought to live in light of this and humbly and obediently doing that which honors and glorifies Him alone.

12.m. “For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity”

Habakkuk 3:16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

Daniel 10:8    So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength.

Isaiah 26:20-21    Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by.  For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-9    since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you,  and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels  in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.  They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

A time is coming when God will carry out His wrath and anger upon all who defy Him. Prophets saw what was to happen in the future to all of those who, in their defiance, hatred, pride, self-power, self-assurance, and wickedness, reject God and His Holiness. The scriptures reveal God’s use of defiant men and nations to carry out judgment on His children for neglecting His way. It reveals time and time again how He uses wayward men and nations to carry out judgment and draw His people back. Do you ever wonder how far a person or nation needs to wander away from God before He will unleash His anger and wrath? It is not good to play games with our Christian walk. It appears many Christians want to see how close they can get to the world and its lures of fleshly temptations. It appears as though they want a taste of it and thinks this one taste will not contaminate or affect them. God wants all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. He will not share the hearts, minds, and souls with those who choose worldly and fleshly living. How many times in scripture do we hear of how the people of God day after day would dilute their walk with Him to a point where they no longer honored, served, followed, obeyed, or saw any need to trust and rely on Him. They did this without giving a single thought of God’s Holy judgment, anger, or wrath. In these times, God would warn and call out to His people through prophets. He would warn them of His pending judgment and what was going to happen to them. Time and time again they neglected these prophetic warnings. We do well to desire that God will show us what is in our hearts and minds. We do well to want to hear the Holy Spirit speak into our lives. We do well to humbly seek these so that we live in humble surrender to His will, living in such a way that He is honored, glorified, praised, and worshiped. Oh that God would show us how far we have wandered away from what it means to live for Him.

12.c. “It will surely come; it will not delay.”

Habakkuk 2:2 “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Daniel 8:19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.

Acts 1:7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

Daniel 11:27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed.

Psalms 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

2 Peter 2:3 Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

The news these days seems to relish in digging up as much mud as they can. They throw it on the clear water of life and then continue to stir it up, mix it up, and cloud it up to the point where it is impossible to see worth in anything at all. The muddy waters are a mixture of half-truths and sometimes lies. It is hard to tell their intent or to what purpose they are focused on. Much of the mud they cloud the waters of life with, most hearers would never have heard of unless these pessimistic and “the sky is falling” proclaimers had told them. We do well to keep the likes of them out of our heads.

Habakkuk is told to make the vision plain and understandable. Make it so plain that the people who read it will run away/turn away from that which is causing what is proclaimed to be coming. Even so, there are many who read and hear it and give it no continued thought. It is as though they don’t believe it at all or say it will never happen in my lifetime so why think about it. Or, they may think that they have time for doing something about it later. All of these lead to a life that forfeits the grace, mercy, and love of God. It allows a person to think there is no danger in waiting and there is no consequence for waiting, and no worry in waiting. All of which is false. The time of salvation is NOW. The time of God’s grace, mercy, and love are NOW. Jesus Christ is coming again, soon. No one knows when death will knock on their door. No one knows when their end will come. It could be today, tomorrow, or years from now. Trust me, many people have waited for another time to trust in Jesus Christ and have died before they thought they would. The day of salvation is NOW. Right NOW. Just because you see no imminent danger does not mean it is not there. Don’t allow the things and news of this world to muddy up your vision of the need for Jesus Christ. Do not allow this muddiness to rob you of purpose in this life and eternal life in heaven.

12.b. “Until I went into the sanctuary of God”

Habakkuk 2:1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

Psalms 85:8    Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

Jeremiah 12:1     Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Psalms 73:16-17     But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,  until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.

Matthew Henry commentary; “When tossed and perplexed with doubts about the methods of our sovereign Lord, we must watch against temptations to be impatient. When we have poured out complaints and requests before God, we must observe the answers God gives by his word, his Spirit, and providences; what the Lord will say to our case. God will not disappoint the believing expectations of those who wait to hear what he will say unto them. All are concerned in the truths of God’s word. Though the promised favor be deferred long, it will come at last, and abundantly recompense us for waiting. The humble, broken-hearted, repenting sinner, alone seeks to obtain an interest in this salvation. He will rest his soul on the promise, and on Christ, in and through whom it is given. Thus he walks and works, as well as lives by faith, perseveres to the end, and is exalted to glory; while those who distrust or despise God’s all-sufficiency will not walk uprightly with him. The just shall live by faith in these precious promises, while the performance of them is deferred. Only those made just by faith shall live, shall be happy here and forever.

11.e. “The prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.”

Micah 7:1 Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen, of your punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Psalms 12:1    Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

Psalms 14:1-3    The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.  The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.  They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

Romans 3:10-18     as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;  no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”  “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.”  “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”  “Their feet are swift to shed blood;  in their paths are ruin and misery,  and the way of peace they have not known.”  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

We look at the times we are in and have to wonder what it will be like in the future when those who love Jesus Christ are gone. It will be a time when the anger and wrath of God are not withheld. It will be a time of punishment and a time of confusion. It will be a time when trust is no longer a virtue. We want to trust words that people speak and write. We want to believe they are speaking the truth. Even now we find it hard to believe anything that is reported. News has become a political tool for the narratives the various media outlets determine to be important. There is little news that is not tainted with bias or lies. There is, however, a mountain of confusion from our elected officials and media outlets. There are lies and more lies. They utter evil desires of their heart and it is weaved together through their intents. The best of them is like a thorn. They have turned aside and together they have become corrupt. They are full of bitterness. The way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Ruin and misery follow them.

This is the world we live in but is not our home. We have our eyes on our Savior, Redeemer, and Son of God, Jesus Christ. We can see the lies, bias, and half-truths. We understand the way of the world and it should draw us closer to Jesus Christ. Our hope is built on Him and not the things of this world. I wonder if the best thing we could do right now is to turn off all news and social media outlets for 10 days. I am certain our lives would not be as helpless or hopeless as they try to convince us it is.