“Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it… Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness” (Ezekiel 14:13, 20).
Contrary to the promises of popular culture and politicians, our world will not get better. The Bible predicts unspeakable horrors and suffering that will come on our world. The hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and plagues are only the beginning of these sorrows. God is sending a time of great punishment upon those who have rebelled against Him.
As life becomes more polluted and complicated, godly people have a harder time living right. Porn houses continue to spring up around us. Bumper stickers spout all types of lewdness and filth. Television zooms in on perversion and muck, and clean-mouthed comedians grow as scarce as two-headed dinosaurs. You want to throw up your hands and say, “I cannot take it. Why does the world have to be so evil?”
Others point fingers, saying, “I would not have it so bad if only mom had…” or “If my dad had only been…” But this scripture tells us that even if your dad had been Noah (the great preacher and ark builder), he could not save you. Even if you grew up with Prophet Daniel (the man of great prayer), his devotion to God would do you no good. And even if Job (who stuck with God through very difficult circumstances) took you under his wing, he could not preserve your soul. Even being with Jesus every day for a few years did not save Judas Iscariot.
Does this mean there is no hope? No, it simply means that we must make sure of our walk with God for ourselves. Those who love God have great prospects of escaping this messed up world. However, my elders’ faith won’t save me. Pastor cannot get me in the pearly gates. Grandma’s devotedness cannot help me. I must “work out [my] own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
…it’s up to me.
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