Boasting in Evil
Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Your tongue devises destruction like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah. You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue. – Psalm 52:1-4 NKJV.
When you do evil, then you rejoice. – Jeremiah 11:15c NKJV.
“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down,” says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” – Jeremiah 6:15-16 NKJV.
Mass murderers, serial killers, pedophiles, scam artists, crooked politicians, s_exual deviants, same-s_x marriage, drug dealers, bank robbers, pirates, financial frauds, greedy bankers and stock brokers, pay-to-play political cronyism, an er_tic section on something called craigslist, and the list goes on and on and on. What kind of list is this? It is a list that is indicative of the sickness of our society. There has always been crime and evil, but it does appear that in the United States, and across the world that the level of evil is increasing.
The attitude of many who are involved in evil appears to be the same as during the time of Jeremiah, and as David wrote in his psalm. Many today who ought to hang their heads in shame instead appear to take pride in their involvement in evil. I have yet to see Bernie Madoff appear to be ashamed of what he has done. Instead of confessing and trying to restore the victims, he and his family were busy trying to hide their financial assets. I have yet to see any politician admit to responsibility for the financial disaster that we are now experiencing (In 2009). Instead we see the appearance of corruption with pork barrel pay-offs and billions of dollars unaccounted for by anyone. I have not seen anyone involved in the financial world stand up and say that they were wrong – instead we see them grabbing for all the money they can lay their hands on.
What is wrong with our country? What is wrong with our world? I believe the immorality that we are seeing that is so abundant everywhere is a result of being on the wrong path. Somewhere along the way we have gotten off course. When I was growing up, I was in a nominally Christian family, but I have learned that I have ancestors who were very devoted to the Lord.
Somewhere along the way the children of the devout have gotten off course, and it has impacted their children and their children’s children and on and on. It will continue to have a negative impact upon our lives, unless, we do what? Unless we “Stand in the ways.” Stop going down the wrong path. “Ask for the old paths.” Ask the Lord to help us to find the right path for our lives and to give us the power to live godly lives as many of our ancestors once did.
(What is wrong with our country? What is wrong with our world?)