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The Decline of a Society Without God: Insights from Isaiah!

The Choice

What happens when a people rejects God and the truth? What is their society like? What is their life like? If a nation walks away from the truth, what are they walking towards? Isaiah chapter fifty-nine details the answers to these questions.

The Downfall Described in Isaiah 59

Notice what happens. God stops listening…v2. Murder goes up, lying, deceit, and corruption take over…v3. No one cares about honesty, lawsuits increase, and evil fills their imaginations…v4. They resort to scheming yet lose much of their productivity, and violence becomes their trademark…v5-6. Murder becomes normalized, their minds are given over to sin, their existence is surrounded by destruction, and misery marks their days…v7. They lose peace and the ability to comprehend what is just and good…v8. Their society has no justice and knows nothing about right living…v9. Like zombies, they cease not to look for answers to their problems, but they are blind to the answers, even in the brightest moments of the day…v10. Their courts oppose righteousness and justice, truth stumbles in their streets and public discourse, honesty is outlawed, and those who renounce evil are attacked…v14-15. This is what happens when a person, or a people, walks away from God and the truth. Wow!

The Call to Embrace Truth

This reminds me of a verse in Proverbs. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. (Proverbs 23:23, KJV) There is only the Truth, not many truths. There isn’t my truth and your truth. There is only One who is Truth…Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6, KJV) Let’s avoid “buying into” the lies of this world. “Buy into” the Truth—sell it not! There is joy, peace, and understanding in the Truth!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Isaiah 59-63.

Associations!

Stay away! Don’t get close! Don’t associate! Don’t befriend! The Book of Proverbs instructs us to avoid certain people in today’s reading. The danger is that these people’s lifestyle, ruin, and end will become ours in time. We are all more easily influenced than we realize.

First up are the corrupt or crooked. They walk a thorny and treacherous road, and those who value life will avoid them (Proverbs 22:5). It is better to live an honest and happy life than constantly watch your back and eventually get caught in your snare. Avoid this person!

Don’t befriend an angry person or associate with the hot-tempered (Proverbs 22:24–25)! Angry people produce angry people. They are full of pride, arrogance, and sinfulness (Proverbs 21:24, 29:22).

Don’t eat with the stingy (Proverbs 23:6–8)! They don’t care about you; you are only a unit of measure to them. They are very judgmental, always judging your actions. Don’t waste your time eating with them!

Don’t hang out with the drunkard or the glutton (Proverbs 23:20–21)! These people are on their way to poverty. The drunkard lives a hard life (Proverbs 23:29–35), and the glutton lacks self-control and is lazy. Everything falls apart around the lazy (Proverbs 24:30–34).

Lastly, don’t associate with the rebellious (Proverbs 24:21–22)! The disobedient are destructive, and destruction comes upon them suddenly and usually without remedy (Proverbs 6:14–15). Stay away from them!

It is better to associate, befriend, and eat with the humble, honest, generous, those of good reputation, the pure of heart, and those of gracious speech and character. Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (Proverbs 13:20, ESV)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Proverbs 22-24.

Money isn’t everything!

Money is not everything! Today’s reading in Proverbs cuts through the fever of acquiring and trusting in wealth. It mentions there are some things better than wealth.

Better is a little with godliness than to be rich and dishonest (Proverbs 16:8). Wisdom and sound judgment are better than gold and silver (Proverbs 16:16). It is better to live humbly with the poor than to share wealth with the proud (Proverbs 16:19). It is better to eat a dry crust in peace than to feast in a house full of conflict (Proverbs 17:1). Godliness, wisdom and sound judgment, humility, and peace are better than riches. There is nothing wrong with wealth, but there are certainly things better than wealth.

Proverbs also talks about a misperception when it comes to wealth. The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. (Proverbs 18:11, NLT) Yet, what does Proverbs say about those who trust in high walls? …anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster. (Proverbs 17:19, NLT) The Bible also clarifies that riches can be gone in the blink of an eye. In the blink of an eye wealth disappears… (Proverbs 23:5, NLT) If riches are unstable and fleeting, can one go anywhere for safety? The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10, ESV)

The LORD is here to stay—that fortress is not coming down. Riches can dissolve overnight, but godliness, wisdom, good judgment, humility, and peace are all things money cannot buy; these are true wealth. So, some people have a lot of money for a relatively short time; others are genuinely wealthy. To be deceived on this is to be greatly disappointed.

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Proverbs 16-18.