I recently had shoulder surgery and it has been one of the worst surgeries I could ever imagine. I thrive on activity. The pain, inactivity, and limitations have been depressing and confining.
These past few months have been gloomy, and I admit I have not been in the best frame of mind. My thoughts dwelled on the darkness of this world. Yet, friends and family continue to bring light into the greyness even as I ponder such despairing events as the recent shooting at my neighborhood Walmart or the gunning down of innocents after a Detroit football game.
If my grandparents were to come back to earth today, they would most likely not recognize our culture. It has seemingly become its own “Babylon” of sorts.
More and more has become permissible and acceptable. Our senses have dulled, and we are more numb. Our outrage has all but disappeared. Our culture and morals seem to be deteriorating before our very eyes at times.
The Bible tells us the story of Daniel who was living in the real Babylon. When the Israelites were conquered by the Babylonians in the Old Testament, the conquering army rounded up the best of the best Israelites and took them to Babylon.
Daniel was one of those Israelites exiled to slavery. Once in Babylon, as one of the brightest and best-looking from the royal line, Daniel was selected to study the Babylonian culture, its language, and its customs for three years.
During this time, he was offered King Nebuchadnezzar’s best food and drink. But Daniel refused and asked the guard to allow him to stay pure with what he ate and drank. He desired to stay within the confines of his custom and religion.
The guard had compassion, and God blessed Daniel with good health and with many talents, including dream interpretation. The king came to trust Daniel. And God abundantly blessed Daniel for his faith and obedience.
Sometimes when I look at our culture, my heart just grieves. I see a world where innocence now dies so young.
My heart is heavy wondering how our children and grandchildren will find their way in a society where everyone seems to say, “There is no wrong. Everyone must find their own definition of right.”
How will our children learn respect and a healthy fear of God when His name is used in vain so often by so many without second thoughts? When society rarely blinks at a curse word used in print, on television, or in movies.
Nudity, disrespect, and violence are considered entertainment. It takes so much more tragedy to stimulate horror and compassion. There are so many school shootings these days that some don’t even make the headlines unless several are killed.
Human suffering on a large scale rarely attracts our empathy, but we will go all out for one child whose parents cannot afford an operation. The amount of carnage the media spits out has ceased to disturb us to any real effect.
According to Psychology Today in 2013, the average American child will see 200,000 violent acts and witness 16,000 murders on TV by the time they are 18. That number must have increased in the last 11 years! Is it any wonder we have become desensitized?
And remember when social media was introduced to the world? It started as a way to connect with friends and has become a barrage of hatred, intolerance, and lies.
And so I lift up a prayer for our children and our grandchildren. It’s so easy for them to get lost. There are so many snares to drag them away from knowing the Lord.
I pray they will be protected against what seems like overwhelming odds. I pray they will experience God’s wonderful blessings for their lives. I pray they will know and experience God’s love each and every day.
And I pray God would grant His wisdom to those of us who guide these children. Grant us Godly vision as we live in a world that seems to be declining in its belief in God.
Give us all a faith that is strong, and help us to discern what is true. Help us to live obediently and faithfully with a heart that continually seeks after You.
Even as we go through the inevitable hurts and pains that come in this life, help us look to You for guidance, strength, and fulfillment. Give us a boldness with each new day. Give us endurance to run the race and live a life that’s true. Guide our steps and direct our paths.
Renew our desire to be like Jesus in everything we do as we set an example for our children. Search our hearts and renew us.
May we reach out to those who need a hand. May we have greater compassion for those we don’t always understand. May we, each day, relinquish our will to You, knowing that You have a future and a hope prepared for us.
Help us all to be a light, Your light, in this dark world to bring hope to others!
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