Day 4. The Best of Times, The worst of Times

Consider the opening of the book A Tail of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us" Do you ever feel like this is the time that we live in? We have more technology, comfort, convenience, and luxury than any other time in history! Yet, we continually hear of religious wars, terrorist attacks, moral decay, and heart wrenching stories from close to home and around the world. What are we to do? How are we to react? 

Let me be frank. This world can be depressing. Yet, this world continually tries to offer us happiness. What does God's Word say about our situation? 

1 John 2:15-17 says: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

We must not love the world. Wait?! Doesn't the Bible say that God loves the world? YES, it does. But God does not love the world by longing for the pleasures it promises. He loves the world in that he sent His Son to die for a world lost in their own pursuit of sinful pleasures. All of the vanity of this life will be done away with someday. NO ONE will care what brand of shoes they wear, or what kind of car they drive, or how big their house is. The only thing that will matter is "Have you surrendered to the Gospel and entrusted your life to the only One able to save you?" Finding our way in this world is discovering the will of God and doing it! Faithful, obedient, devotion to Jesus Christ is the only pursuit in this mixed up world that will end up mattering for eternity.

How can you devote yourself today to Jesus? Pray? Encourage another? Praise him with singing? Rejoicing in your salvation?