Many people turn to fortune tellers, psychics, and horoscopes for hope. Faith in this hope (false hope) has ruined countless lives.
All men, at some point in their lives, are confronted with the truth. At such time, men must choose to accept or reject that truth.
Many people choose to continue in sin thinking that the consequences are not mounting up. The scriptures indicate something quite different.
God especially cares for all those that the world frequently disregards. For instance, the Bible points out that the Lord is “the helper of the fatherless,” and the poor commit themselves unto His care (Psalm 10:14). Why is it important for the poor to look up for their help? Because the Lord regards “the oppression of the poor” (Ecclesiastes 5:8) and delivers the poor “from him that is strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him” (Psalm 35:10). Jeremiah confirmed this truth when he said, “the LORD . . . hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers” (Jeremiah 20:13). The world may regard the poor as a burden, but the Lord sees them as one of His highest priorities.
A sure sign of rebellion involves the rejection of God’s word. Throughout scripture, the Lord associates rebellion with a willful decision on the part of an individual or people group to refuse to hear. In Psalm 107:11 the Bible says, “Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High.” In Nehemiah 9:26 the scripture declares, “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs.” Those who make their necks stiff in rebellion will not incline their ears in order to receive instruction (Jeremiah 17:23). They may accept the counsel of others but refuse the Lord’s counsel (Isaiah 30:1).
Though the means of worldly safety have changed throughout time, people have always put their trust in various things to offer temporary safety. The Bible depicts those who trusted in fenced walls (Deuteronomy 28:52), nations (Isaiah 30:2-3), horses, horsemen and chariots (Isaiah 31:1), weapons (Psalm 44:6), and mountains (Amos 6:1). People today place their trust in weapons, security systems, governments, insurance policies, and even medicines. Though the sources of trust have changed, the Lord remains just as grieved today when men place their trust upon the things of this world rather than upon Him. Ultimately, every source of worldly safety will fail, often in the moment we perceive as our greatest time of need.
Our love for the words of God seems directly proportional to our willingness to contend for the truth. Those who love the law of God do not praise the wicked but instead contend with them. Contending against those who oppose God will not always be easy and will sometimes develop fearfulness from within. Yet, a believer who loves the Lord and His word will not idly sit by in the presence of wickedness without proclaiming the righteousness of God. Unfortunately, Christians are becoming increasingly fearful of speaking up in morally corrupt societies. Sometimes believers have allowed and even facilitated the wicked to spew forth their vile agenda and thoughts. However, those who truly love the Lord should be like the prophet Jeremiah who could not keep silent as he sensed the words of God like a fire shut up in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9)..
