SURVIVING THE INSANITY
These are times that can drive a righteous person to madness. The vexing nature of the pernicious insanity being shoved down our throats is enough to drive a person to rage, for some, even to a loss of faith. I have never in my lifetime witnessed such wicked lies, the propagation of such sheer nonsense, the elevation of evil, and the spread of lawlessness and corruption in our government, our institutions, our cities, and our nation. Each day seems to bring a new level of insanity.
As a man who burns with zeal and righteous indignation at what I see happening all around us, I must find a way to cope, or I would come undone. I am sure many of you feel the very same way. It’s difficult to wake up every day to the disgusting, wicked realities we are facing in this nation.
As I have done countless times before, I cry out to God for help! I cry out to God for a divine perspective that allows me to spiritually, emotionally, and mentally cope with the agonizing realities I’m forced to live with every day in these insane times.
God in his great faithfulness brings me to these extraordinary truths and perspectives in Psalm 37 – Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. For the wicked will be destroyed. In a little while, the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. But the Lord just laughs, for he sees their day of judgment is coming. The wicked draw their swords and string their bows to kill the poor and oppressed, to slaughter those who do right. But they will be stabbed through with their own swords, and their bows will be broken. It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and possess much. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly. The wicked will perish. The Lord’s enemies are like flowers of the field—they will disappear like smoke. The Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. Don’t be impatient for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you! You will see the wicked destroyed. They have no future. The Lord saves the godly; He is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and they find shelter in Him. Ps. 37 NLT
What a tremendous passage of Scripture! What powerful, meaningful truth and perspective right from the very heart and mouth of God! This is the reason I don’t lose my sanity. This is the reason I can maintain my balance, perspective, and reason. I know what’s coming!! I know what their end will be! I know what God assures me of for my life and my future!
Recently, to graphically remind me of the reality of these profound truths, I watched a documentary about Hitler’s last days at the fall of the 3rd Reich. It is a phenomenal reminder of Psalm 37. Here is a wicked man who dominated much of the world, immersing it in great evil, wickedness, and insanity for 6 horrific years of WW2, and 12 years as the leader of Germany. He seemed unstoppable, invincible. He spewed and propagated wicked, insane ideologies that millions followed and embraced. To watch the masses clamoring around him, mesmerized, listening for hours in rapt attention, as his armies conquered and slaughtered tens of millions all across Europe, it’s surreal. It’s difficult to believe people could be that incredibly stupid. But after just 12 years, he’s a feeble shell of a man, mumbling and stumbling around his hidden underground bunker, paranoid, unable to think clearly, scared to death of the approaching armies surrounding his underground bunker, at last, he kills himself. Berlin and Germany are in utter ruins. Cities are literally heaps of rubble and ash. In a moment in time, the Nazis are no more. A puff of smoke. Now they each reside alive forever, in torment, in the fires of Hell!
What of our time? Will the righteous suffer? Yes, many will as our Lord promised. Will we be oppressed? Yes, as so many before us certainly have. Will we have our Bonhoeffers? Yes, some indeed will lose their lives in the madness, standing up in the defense of righteousness and truth. Will many suffer reputational loss? Absolutely, as many already have. Might we suffer material loss? Yes, but so much better to have little and be godly. So much better to have suffered for the sake of righteousness, falsely accused by the wicked, than to be praised by the culture, famous on Twitter or TikTok!
God will not abandon us, His people of faith! God will bring us justice! God will help us, shelter us, and be our fortress in these troubled times. Keep to God’s path, He will honor you. We have a wonderful, amazing future ahead of us, even if for now, we are greatly distressed by the wicked times we live in. God will save us!
Take the time this week to read Psalm 37 and Psalm 73 in the New Living Translation. Carefully read them over, underline the great truths you find there, and embrace the tremendous perspectives revealed in them. They will sustain you and give you strength. They provide powerful therapy for the soul.
These two messages delving into these truths and perspectives will be a great encouragement to you, especially given the times we live in.
https://strongdisciple.com/
https://strongdisciple.com/
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
