“…it is from the Lord that one gets justice.” |
—Proverbs 29:26b |
Society has changed much in my 67 years. I grew up in the safe bubble of a small town. I was insulated from violence and drugs. Most people were hard-working, driven by their memory of the Great Depression and World War II, and motivated to take advantage of every opportunity to improve their lot in life.
The vast majority of people attended a church or synagogue often enough to maintain a respectful appreciation for religion. I never heard the word “Islam” except in the context of a school history lesson.
I was taught to be proud of my country, trustful of authority, and grateful for our representative republic.
Yes, I was bullied in school, beginning in junior high school, but the positive things in my life tipped the balance in a favorable direction: loving parents, a deepening faith and personal relationship with a God who loved me, along with many extremely positive opportunities to work with role-model adults who made me feel valued.
I would not want to be a child starting out in our world today. Everything seems to have flipped upside down.
King Solomon, in spite of great wealth and a royal heritage, had tuned into many subtle truths, such as the ones found in Proverbs 29:25-27:
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.
The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.
In a world turned 180 degrees, we can truly cling to the God who loves us with a deep and abiding love. He will never let us go and He will never turn His back on us.
Let’s face the world today knowing that He will keep us safe in the hollow of His mighty hand.