“Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out” (Proverbs 24:19-20).

We are seeing the growth of wickedness in unbelievable ways. In just my lifetime, I am amazed by what I am witnessing with my own eyes. I can remember when there were no metal detectors in airports. We walked to the boarding gates and waved good-bye to our loved ones. If a man was found in a ladies’ bathroom, he was promptly arrested and publicly shamed. Living together was frowned upon because it was immoral. Christians didn’t drink alcoholic beverages, and families stayed together and worked on their problems. Daily we stood and pledged allegiance to the American flag. We prayed in school. Our teachers taught, and we knew we had better respect them. If we were sent to the principal’s office (I never was, but I must confess I ended up in the hall a few times) , there would be a greater price to be paid when we returned home. Sunday was the Lord’s Day, and people attended services. Sunday was not a day to shop, a day for children’s sports, and a dozen things other than worship.

The biggest change I see is the rapid cultural shift toward wickedness and darkness. I see many changes that I couldn’t have imagined. It is a good time to remember that King Solomon tells me not to fret. I am saddened, but I am not beside myself. I belong to the awesome Sovereign Who is in control. My heart breaks as I remember the certainty of the day of reckoning that is coming for the wicked. Today I want to be faithful and shine as a representative of the Lord Jesus Who is the Light of the world (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14-16). How about you?

This greatly encourages me for today: I am overwhelmed with the joy of belonging to the righteous Lord. What an absolutely awesome God is He! Do you know Him as your own personal Savior?