Monday, August
27, 2018
What, indeed, can the
righteous do when the foundations of righteousness are collapsing all around
them? Our Psalmist, David, knew
something about being honest, straightforward, and willing to die rather than
betray trust, and despite all that seeing his whole world come unglued. David had been a loyal servant, but King Saul
hunted the boy like a dog, breathing out fire and death to destroy the one God
had chosen to replace the king. What can
you do when the very person, country, or cause you have committed to support,
defend, and, if necessary die for, becomes the enemy of itself? What if the foundations of righteousness
collapse, and, like the cartoon character, Pogo: We have met the enemy, and he is us?
Of course, the recent political
cauldron of intrigue, courts, he said-she said, malaise of high profile charges,
convictions, and collusion investigations are an uncomfortable fit for any peace-loving
average citizen. Turn on either Fox news
or CNN, and it won’t be three seconds before you hear about the president’s latest
whine on Twitter, or the shots fired back across the White House bow by the
opposition. And the greatest loser here
is truth. It is a strange time to be
alive.
So, to beg the question,
what can a committed follower of Jesus Christ, who is also a citizen of a
nation that demands responsive fidelity actually do when, no matter
which way you look, the wheels are falling off the wagon on every side?
Perhaps David’s example is
best here; he tried to do right and was rewarded by becoming public enemy
#1. He had to flee for his life, hide in
caves, and just survive while the king chased him around the world. But, even when presented with an opportunity
to kill the king while he slept, David remained loyal, true to the faithful
oath he’d sworn to serve God and his king.
The cost is incredible to live that way; but the cost of denying truth
is so much greater.
John Wesley touched on that
when his new movement in the 1740’s came under public attack by the very people
he felt compelled to serve. Methodism
was seen as a tool of the devil.
Methodist preachers were beaten, sometimes killed as they attempted to
spread spiritual holiness across America.
They meant to serve God, and, in the eyes of those who could
not see that benevolence (and some who would not), they
were the enemy. Here is what Mr. Wesley
advised those people called Methodist:
“Consider deeply with yourself, Is the God whom I
serve able to deliver me? I am not able
to deliver myself out of these difficulties; much less am I able to bear them. I know not how to give up my reputation, my
friends, my substance, my liberty, my life. Can God give me to rejoice in doing this and
may I depend upon him that he will? Are
the hairs of my head all numbered; and does He never fail them that trust in
him?” Weigh this thoroughly; and if you
can trust God with your all, then go on in the power of his might….Go on, I
would earnestly advise you, Fourthly: “Keep
in the very path wherein you now tread. Be
true to your principles.”[2]
Now, isn’t that just like an
Englishman? Keep Calm and Carry On!
For You Today
Whether you subscribe to the
Liberal News media, or the Conservative media, or watch both just to be
informed (or confused), make no mistake that the Heavenly media, God’s Word,
calls us to live above what the world does.
It’s a tough day, and that
means we have the same kinds of decisions Christians have always had in the
face of darkness. We can, to borrow a phrase
from Ben Franklin, either complain about the darkness, or we can light a lamp
where we are.
Go to VIDEO
[2] John Wesley, Advice to a People Called Methodist, October
10, 1745
