Good morning,
There are many good reasons why unbelievers think there is something wrong with God’s kids. Solomon wrote lots of material on this topic, but if I have just a minute, the following contrasts may give us some food for thought. According to God, when a person thinks that wrong thinking and wrong doing and wrong acting is fun, they have identified themselves as fools. Of course, the world has changed God’s wrong to right so there is immediate confusion in our minds when so many people are doing wrong and enjoying wrong so thoroughly. By contrast, when God’s people are living according to God’s standards and allowing God’s Holy Spirit to control their lives, they enjoy the pleasure of obedience that God gives even if their decisions lead to unexpected adventures. The world sees us as fools for not keeping their set of rebellious rules, but the eternal judge will rule for us every time. What fools fail to realize is that their wicked living will lead to all kinds of fears that will keep attacking them when things get out of their control. For most people wickedness brings a haunting sense that some day they will have to pay for their fun.
For those of us who are learning to believe what the Lord promises us, unexpected setbacks are understood as discipline or correction that will lead to an eternity of joyful living. For those of us who are learning to follow the Good Shepherd, we have developed a life style that sees hope in the ups and downs of life because God never lets anything get out of hand or go beyond the guidelines that he has planned for our lives. When wicked people face the storms of life, they are attacked by panic, for life is always to big for any one person or group to keep things under their control. Our Good Shepherd was very clear in pointing out that those of us who build our lives on the Living Rock will be able to keep standing strong no matter how hard the winds blow or how high the floods flow. These days there seems to be a sense of impending doom hanging over the countries of the world, but for those of us who are citizens of heaven, what the world will call a disaster will be God’s call for us to come home and join his eternal party, as we celebrate his love and goodness and our eternal rewards.
Psalm 10:23 Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.
24 The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.
25 When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation.
Roy Wisner
