Scripture: For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened. Romans 1:21
Observation: What follows after this verse is a perfect description of ... society today. Mankind claims to be wise, worships things they have created, pursues wealth, are greedy and wicked, are overly proud and boastful of their own success, hate their parents and are disobedient to all authority, are untrustworthy and unmerciful, practices immoral acts and sexual practices, and in the end actually celebrate and applaud each other for these practices. This happens even though they know that the results are death. In fact, they have given up on life, expecting only death.
Again, Paul wrote this to the Romans ~1,950 years ago, but he could have been writing it to the USA last week and it would be spot-on accurate. Everything he said describes our current state of attitude toward God: refusing to acknowledge the creator, praising ourselves, doing as we please, openly celebrating sins ... and so collectively desponded in our hopelessness that depression and drugs are uncontrolled epidemics among us.
Application: I do not see a way forward when our society is so clearly called out in this way. Yet Paul did see a way forward. Paul viewed this condition as terrible, but with an answer. Today, even though that answer - Jesus - has been openly and actively rejected by many, it remains the way forward. Jesus is the hope of this world, and he always has been. The Church is his only plan for delivering this message.
Prayer: Lord, please give us the strength and courage and hope to present Jesus to this lost and hurting world. The resistance seems insurmountable to us. May we, as your body of believers, have faith enough to say to the mountains 'move'. And may your kingdom come. Amen.
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