When Piety Decays Times Are Bad

How do we deal with the horrors wrought about the people of Newtown, Connecticut and our nation as a whole? Where do we turn to in such dark times? The ever-present punditry are spewing out their normal tripe, be it right or left-leaning, like an unstoppable sewer. Neither side has it right because each is looking to man.

It is my natural inclination to look to my own wisdom and opinion to determine the right course in such dark times but I am trying to learn to no longer rely solely upon myself. I am untrustworthy; at best I am a depraved man saved by grace and molded by the Holy Word of God. So that’s where I’ve turned these last few days; to prayer and my Bible.

I found a wonderful psalm written by David when it seemed as though there was not one faithful man who would not lie. He wrote:

    “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’ ‘For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,’ says the Lord; ‘I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.’ The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.” (Psalm 12)

We are living in evil times. About 7-8 months ago I was having lunch with my brother-in-Christ Nate Lepper and we were discussing how evil seemed to be taking over the world. Nate was asking why this was and I told him that Hell was emptying itself out. Satan knows his time is short and he has openly declared war on all humanity. The horrific cultural scenes of theses past two weeks are his handiwork. And it seems as though excuse after excuse is summoned up other than what is the root issue with what we are dealing…evil. Nevertheless, evil will not prevail. Jesus has already won the victory:

    “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread,and do not call on the Lord? There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” (Psalm 14)

How many times have I shared with you Proverbs 14:34?

    “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.”

One day we shall understand the principle of reaping what you sow. Mike Huckabee did not want to make the case that kicking prayer and God out of the schools was directly linked to the shootings in Connecticut, but I’ll make the small and obvious leap. Writing on Psalm 12 long ago, Matthew Henry was able to make the connection:

    Let us see what makes the times bad, and when they may be said to be so. Ask the children of this world, “What makes the times bad?”, they will tell you, “Scarcity of money, decay of trade, and the desolations of war make the times bad”: but the Scripture lays the badness of the times on causes of another nature, 2 Timothy 3:1: perilous times shall come, for sin shall abound; and of this David complains. When piety decays times are bad. He who made man’s mouth will call him to account for his proud, profane, dissembling, or even useless words. When the poor and needy are oppressed, then times are very bad. God Himself takes notice of the oppression of the poor, and the sighing of the needy. When wickedness abounds and is countenanced by those in authority, then the times are very bad.

Beloved, the times are very bad indeed. We are exactly one week from celebrating the birth of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet this week nary a commentator will make mention, much less the connection, of a rotting society such as ours needing to turn to the “reason for the season.” I am grateful for men such as Steve Deace who use his national mantle to bring the gospel to his listeners; would to God more would do so and be damned their ratings. Perilous times are upon us and never more than today do we need a Savior.

Oh precious ones, share Jesus this week with all whom you come in contact. Instead of wishing Merry Christmas, why don’t we say, “I wish you Jesus”?

The whole purpose of Jesus’ birth is found in the Gospel of Luke. While yes, chapter 2 covers His birth, and I encourage reading it on Christmas Day, His reason for coming is spoken from His own mouth and is found in Chapter 4.

More on that tomorrow…

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2012 David Jeffers

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