Is your world MESSED-UP?

 

I saw this graphic from a Baptist Church in Dunkirk, New York. The pastor delivered a sermon five years ago and this was the scripture and focus that Sunday. I think this might be one thing most people can agree with. We live in a messed up world!

One evening this week, while visiting here in Florida, we watched a Dateline episode that had us hooked. We were tired and really wanted to go to bed, but if you have ever watched one of these investigation shows, you know why we just couldn’t go call it a night. The case was filled with a lot of what is wrong with our world. I was mostly captivated by how normal they made their lives that were filled with sexual sin and how they justified all of it by wrapping it around their “faith.” WE TRULY LIVE IN A MESSED UP WORLD.

Today, while I was reading Psalm 6, I had a hard time relating to these verses until I read them thinking about how messed up our world is. Then all the sudden these words of lament made a lot of sense:

“Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave? I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Go away, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame.” (Psalm 6:4-10)

I can’t even watch the news anymore. It either makes me angry or fills me with overwhelming grief. I hear pastors, people who claim they are speaking for God, desecrating his word by supporting sin in the world. I sob for my faith when people twist the truth of the Lord for evil and sin. I plea for Jesus to return so we can put an end to all of this hate and division. But, I know the Lord hears our cries. I know he is preparing to return. I know he has heard the weeping and will answer our prayers. The enemies of God should be ready for their final defeat unless, by chance, they want to turn back to him, to approach God with shame, repentance.

Our agony, the pain of a sinful world, can be intense at times. It can appear the world is so hopeless. But, we should remember that we are not too far removed from living in sin and Titus reminds us of that:

“Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But — “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:3-5)

It is so easy to look at this “messed up world” with weeping, anger, rage, agony, and sickness. But, we have hope because the Lord is returning. He will rescue us and he will restore us with unfailing love. If you can’t see past the messed up world around you, TURN TO JESUS. Even in the midst of a messed up world, he can restore you and your hope for the future!