Judges 21:25 (KJV) Says, "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
The book of Joshua covers a period of about 300 years stretching from the death of Joshua in 1367 B.C. until the time of Samuel (c.1064-1044 B.C.). Judges is an account of the failures of the children of Israel to maintain the high spiritual standards laid down by Moses and Joshua. They failed to conquer the land of Canaan as God had challenged them to do, and they fell into idolatry and the sinful practices of the people of Canaan. They grew more and more disobedient to God, and did what was right in their own eyes. Their increased disobedience to God brought on a progressive moral degeneration.
When we take a good look at all that is going on in the world today, it is more than obvious that we are witnessing history repeat itself. We are definitely seeing an increase in disobedience to God, and a progression in moral degeneration. The horrible results of disobeying God have been made crystal clear, and can be seen all over the world.
I think I would be hard pressed to find many people who would disagree with the fact that the world is in desperate need of healing, The state of the world will continue to decline as long as we continue doing what is right in our own eyes instead of walking in obedience to God. There are enough Christians in the world to make a huge difference and bring about great changes, if we would all take a good inventory of ourselves, and face our own faults. Improvements in the world will come, when we collectively begin working on our own personal areas of weakness. We all know our areas of weakness, myself included. I work on mine daily. Becoming more Godly, and building a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior is something we must work on until the day we go home to be with Him. None of us will ever be perfect because we are human beings, and God understands that. The thing is there are far too many Christians who are showing blatant disregard for what God tells us is right in His Word. Many Christians either ignore the fact that something is a sin, or they convince themselves that what they are doing is not a big deal because they evidently have created a system where sins are categorized by their severity. Friends, there is no such system, As far as God is concerned a sin is a sin. We cannot straddle the fence, continue to do what is right in our own eyes, attack others for sins they commit while ignoring our own, and expect positive changes to occur in the world. If we want God to heal our world, we must repent of our sins and turn back to HIm.
It is easier to be offended by someone suggesting that we take a look at our own behavior than it is to actually do the inventory, and therefore the truth tends to upset people who have no desire to hear it. I understand that, but it is necessary if we want to see changes. We have gotten so far away from the basic instructions that God has given us that there is no wonder the world is in the state it is in. For instance, how many families read God's Word and pray together these days? How many families actually sit down and have dinner together? How many families say the blessing over their food before they start eating? How many people include the words I and me in almost every sentence that comes out of their mouth? How many people respond to things that upset them in a way that would be pleasing to God? Do you get angry and express it without cursing, throwing things, screaming, and yelling? Do you react to things in an ungodly manner in front of your children, and then expect them not to throw tantrums, and scream or yell when they get upset? Do you do random acts of kindness? Are you a giver or are you a taker? Do you watch movies and television programs that are full of violence, sex, cursing, and nudity? Do you honestly think that is a small thing to God? These type television shows and movies will continue to be created as long as they are being supported by viewers, and in today's world they currently have all the support they need to press on. Do you listen to music that contains vulgar, degrading, and violent lyrics? Is that Godly? There are lyrics that call females terrible names and degrade them horribly. Women and girls not only buy these CD's, but they sing the lyrics and then call one another these same names in everyday life. To the guys that purchase them, do you have sisters, mothers, daughters? What are we thinking? All I can say is, Wow! Really? Where is our sense of self-respect? How can we expect others to respect us, if we don't respect ourselves? Do you honor your parents or are you disrespectful to them? Do you make jokes about people, and their appearance in order to get a laugh? Do you think God smiles down on someone making jokes at the expense of one of His children? If it was your child that was being made the brunt of a joke, how would you feel? And how funny would it be? Are you a gossiper that loves to stir the rumor pot, and start trouble? Do you like to read your horoscope, follow mediums, tarot card readers, or psychics? This seems to be really popular, but it is something that is greatly frowned upon by God. The way God sees it, when we read horoscopes, follow mediums, tarot card readers, psychics, and the like we are seeking advice from them instead of going to Him in prayer, and seeking His advice and guidance in our lives. I would say that is huge. Do you pray for your enemies? Do you remind yourself that vengeance belongs to God? Do you know what's going on in the lives of your children? Do you listen to them? Do you hear them? Do you tithe? Do you help the poor and needy? What kind of friend are you? Are you there for your friends when they need you? What kind of husband? What kind of wife? What kind of father? What kind of mother? What kind of grandparent? Do you witness to non-believers as a disciple for Christ?
I could go on and on and I'm certain many of you could add to this list as well, but we get the general idea. We need to look at all areas of our lives, and identify our weaknesses so that we can begin working on them. I made a list of areas in my life that need work, and I will continue to work on them as long as I live. I'm sure there are some things that I will be able to mark off the list as God helps me to alleviate them. I am also well aware that I will never be perfect, and that I will work on some of my weaknesses for as long as I live. God knows our hearts, however, and He knows when we are trying to do and be our best, and when we aren't.
We are watching moral decay spread throughout the world in a rapid fashion as the result of so many people, including many Christians, showing a blatant disregard for God and His Word. Imagine the wonderful changes we could see come about and the love that could spread, if all Christians decided to work on the areas in their lives that need improvement, and stop straddling the fence, when it comes to living a Godly life. If you have convinced yourself that some of the things that are now acceptable by society are no big deal, then I urge you to watch one world news program, a local news program, or simply read your local newspaper, and check out the consequences. What kind of world do we want to live in? What kind of world do we want our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to live in? It's not to late to begin doing what's right in the eye's of God, and until we do, this world will continue on its downhill spiral.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
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