A saying attributed to the Chinese is, May you live in interesting times. I believe we are indeed in those times. It is perhaps ironic that this is a Chinese saying since most of our stuff we purchase as well as our drugs—both ethical and addictive such as fentanyl—are manufactured there.
Not only are we killing ourselves through drugs and alcohol, but suicide by many means is now a growing occurrence. I talk to people every week who are anxiety ridden because of the state of the world around us. It seems as though our social fabric is being torn to shreds as we watch the melee and feel helpless to do anything about it.
But this is the season that we observe a time of Thanksgiving in our nation. Believe it or not, it was not instituted so that we could watch NFL games, know when to have Black Friday, and, on account of the Christmas holiday, begin buying things we collectively do not need for all our loved ones who do not need them.
In the latter part of the Old Testament of the Bible, an obscure prophet named Habakkuk was also complaining about violence, injustice, wrongdoing, oppression, and strife among those called to be God’s chosen people. Nothing new now or then.
God let Habakkuk know that he would soon be sending the Chaldeans to upset the Jewish nation. That was undoubtedly not the kind of rescue for which he longed and was requesting. But as he considers the horrible conditions to come, he affirms his personal faith in the God who delays his judgment in patience, hoping that people will come to their senses and turn back to Him.
Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3:17-18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible version).
I know only that we as a people are our own worst enemy and we are reaping collectively what we have sown. We have plenty of help in this from a devil whose joy and purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. I hope you will join me and my family in giving thanks this week to our great God who has given and continues to give us everything we need today for an abundant life. The mess we are in is certainly not of His doing and He promises to deliver all who will receive Him into a perfect eternity whenever we do pass from this life.