Nearing Midnight: What Can the Righteous Do?

 Nearing Midnight: What Can the Righteous Do? – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Long ago, David asked a question that’s on the minds of many believers today. “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). In other words, what do we do asthe political and moral supports of society fall to ruins around us? Does this not sum up what we see today? The manipulation of politics in the U.S. has recently become front and center for all to see. Despite receiving no votes in the primaries, the delegates to the Democratic convention had nochoice but to select Kamila Harris as their nominee for president during a binding preconvention tally. The subsequent selection of Tim Walz as her running mate highlights the deplorable moral depravity of America. As Minnesota’s governor, he not only signed legislation permitting abortion upto the time of birth but also approved a law that permits the killing of babies that survive it, infanticide. Walz also made his state a safe haven for children seeking horrific and wicked transgenderism procedures, which are destroying the lives of so manykids today. How is it possible that such a morally depraved and vile man is on the ticket for the highest office in America? The woeful state of society today is the result of Satan’s prolonged attacks, which the Psalmist described in the preceding verse, “For behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted theirarrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart” (Psalm 11:2). The image is that of the wicked lurking in dark shadows waiting for an opportunity to ambush the righteous. Today, the devil’s minions no longer hide; they fire their deadly arrows in broad daylight. How are we to respond to the perilous times in which we live? Resist the Temptation to Hide from Reality If you are like me, there are times when you just want to run away from it all and pretend that the horrors of our day simply don’t exist. David expressed that same impulse in Psalm 11:1. “In the Lord I take refuge, how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee like a bird to your mountain.'” As David considered the turmoil of his day with King Saul in charge and the constant threat to his life, he considered the option of completely running far away from the danger. Most commentatorsbelieve that this counsel came from his advisors, although some regard this as an inward discussion. Does this option not seem appealing today? We feel the lure of allowing entertainment, sports, travel, smartphones, and other pleasures to distract us from the real world and the dangers thatthreaten our livelihood. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these things as long as we do not let them dull our senses to dangers afoot in our world and the lateness of the hour in which we live. Run to the Lord Rather than ignore the evil of his day, David ran to the Lord. He filled his mind with truths regarding His sovereignty, His all-knowing and all-seeing characteristics. He could face the perilsof life because his hope rested in the One who controls all things. “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man” (Psalm 11:4). The One who loves justice (see Psalm 37:28) sees all the wickedness, deception, and violence that we do and so much more! David could face the threats to his life because he remained confidentthat the Lord “hates the wicked and the one who loves violence” (v. 5). Of course, David took steps to protect himself from Saul, but he resisted the temptation to flee far away. Instead, he ran to the Lord. A realistic look at our world generates fears within us. Those seeking to enslave the people under a tyrannical world government talk openly of drastically reducing the world’s population.I understand the desire to flee to the distractions around us rather than believe the elite of our world actually desire to kill most of us and are actively working toward that goal. But is it not better to run to the Lord and rest in His promises? For us, that signifies eagerly awaiting Jesus’ appearing (Philippians 3:20-21). Trust the Lord to Deal with the Wicked Not only does the Lord provide a safe haven to which we can run, but we also have the assurance that He most certainly will judge the wicked. In verse 6, David prayed: “Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.” Although David’s request sounds harsh to modern ears, it rightly portrays the fate of the wicked who persist in rejecting the Lord. Yes, there will be a day of reckoning before God for allthe unsaved of all the ages (Revelation 20:11-15). However, David asks God to judge the wicked in real-time, such as what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. Someday, perhaps quite soon, the Lord will exact a horrible price on the wicked for the evil and deception that they impose upon the world (read Psalm 75:6-8). Those killing and destroyingchildren will forever regret their actions. They will watch as Jesus destroys their kingdom in real-time (Revelation chapters 6-18), and later, He will sentence them to the lake of fire. Do we not, at times, feel helpless as we watch evil and deception grow in our world? In Psalm 37:1-20, David tells us not to let these things fill us with anger but rather to trust our Lord,the righteous judge, to deal with the wicked of our day. Psalm 11 speaks to the day in which we live. We do face the temptation to flee to the distractions of our day rather than face the perils that loom on the horizon. When we do gaze upon theperils of our day, do we not feel anger rising within us? This Psalm reminds us that God is surely in control, and He will do all that He promises us in His word. Someday, we will “behold his face” (Psalm 11:7); we will surely meet Him in the air. Maranatha!!!!