I wonder what you think of the world by now? Things have been moving along in such a strange fashion so that almost everyone has had to ask in a new way the question, “What is this world all about?” and “What is my purpose of being in it?”

Our world continues to face an increasing intensity and frequency of natural disasters, and we have an inordinate amount of man-made catastrophes as well. Is it possible that there are lessons to be learned out of all of this that are available to us now?

The answer, which we all must give after even a simple examination of the currency, is that, yes, there must be a lesson or three in all of these things for us today. What might they be?

The first and quite obvious is that the world is not a safe and predictable place in which to live. Trees, plants, and flowers along with houses, mansions, and entire cities have been turned into rubble. After this, no one dare be so smart as to be able to say, “I know what is happening today and tomorrow in my world.”

We, therefore, must not rest until we find a foundation on which to build our lives that is more sure and steadfast than the obvious ones going today. Is there a firm foundation? Don't rest until you find the answer to that question.

Basis of Life
We cannot discover the answer to that question until first we remember what is the basis of life. In the world, that question is answered by such statements as “the basis of life is financial and it is money that does it.” “The basis of life is social. It is helpful interaction between people. That is what life is really all about.” These and other oversimplifications will not give us an answer. Why? It is because the basis of life is spiritual. It is made out of things intangible rather than tangible. No one, therefore, can understand life without bringing the God who made the world into the equation of his thinking. This being the case, we then can assert that many of the problems, difficulties, impossibilities that we face in life do happen because of an inadequate spiritual foundation in life. Unless one has that adequate spiritual foundation, he or she will stumble along life's variegated pathway and finally stumble into oblivion.

Yes, the realities of the disasters in this life must lead us to the conclusion that the hidden meaning of life is as yet undiscovered by most. Few people in the world have heard that “other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11).

Sources of Danger
For want of this knowledge, the lives of most of the people of the world are lived in mortal peril. There is no doubt that perilous times have come upon us. Just the other day I thought that it would be valuable to make an interesting list of a few of the sources of danger that are going in our present world. These include:

The danger of nuclear war—Even now, rogue nations around the world—nations such as Iraq and North Korea—are racing to develop nuclear capabilities, and with these weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a few madmen, the world will most assuredly face the prospect of nuclear war sometime in the future. How soon is anyone's guess, but the clock is ticking.

Conventional warfare—In World War II, more people died in one day at Dresden, Germany than died in the nuclear blast in Hiroshima. War in our time turns into a massive and unspeakably cruel situation. Even our own beloved nation may be in an all-out war in the not-to-distant future.

Chemical and biological warfare—This is now touted as being a serious concern—especially as smaller nations take to themselves chemical and biological war capabilities. Saddam Hussein has become a serious threat to the health and stability of the world due to his manufacture and stockpiling of these deadly agents.

Radical revolution—We get reports again and again of thousands dying in a nation in Africa or Asia because the leaders disagree with one another. Revolutionary war rarely accomplishes anything except to decrease the population.

There are several other kinds of war, but they amount to a horrible scene of mass murder and often the destruction of a nation.

Global economic collapse—Large areas of the world are even now coming apart financially. Japan has been in economic recession—almost depression—for so many years that it is beginning to look as though it is a permanent condition. Even in the United States, the economy has been on the edge of recession for months. How soon before the entire world economy falls like a house of cards?

Moral decline—Big Brothers Big Sisters of America recently dropped a bombshell on those who defend the family and traditional Judeo-Christian values. A directive was issued from their national leadership mandating that all local chapters must allow homosexuals as youth mentors.

Technical failure—Despite all the carefulness, airplanes continue to drop into the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean or hit a mountainside somewhere; someone quite obviously neglected his responsibilities.

Social violence—At this present time, men and women—even boys and girls—are running around the darkened streets of our cities with AK47 assault rifles. Many Americans have even lived in fear, recently, of becoming the victim of some random sniping incident.

Youth criminality—Evil subcultures have developed in our world in which teenagers become bosses and order other young people around on pain of death. Again, the law seems helpless and impotent before this onslaught.

These are just a few of the mounting evils in our society. Much more could be said about drug addiction, youth brutality and a hundred other violations of the moral law of the God of the universe.

Be Thinking
You, therefore, are going to have to be thinking with great concern and intensity about what you would like to do in today's world and tomorrow's culture. The student of today who becomes an expert as to what one must do to create an orderly society, that young person will be the object of great gracefulness and favor in our society. It is not enough to just say, “Build more basketball courts,” or “expand youth educational instruction.” Quite obviously, nearly everybody in the land knows the difference between right and wrong. Because pleasure and indulgence calls, the issue of right or wrong will be ignored in favor of pleasure, indulgence, and other substitutes for right thinking that will bring many to an early grave.

If part of your life is given to moral perceptions, you will become a necessary and appreciated member of our society. Be thinking, however, about this. Moralists in our days say, “We must have a moral change.” “We must encourage people to think higher and to do better.”

Finally, we are forced to differ with this panacea for an important reason. It is true that the basis of life is moral and moral change will bring hope, help, cleanliness and many other things. However, the problem is that moral change is impossible apart from spiritual alteration. This because, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Everyone has done wrong things in life, but few have recognized this and turned via repentance and faith to God Himself. High purposing will give way to further sins unless the purposer becomes a new creature in Christ. A person is not changed by promising to do better. The only source of possible change is that of which the Scripture speaks: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). One becomes a new creature by personal faith in the death of Christ on the cross. It was His blood that washes away sin. Without the cleansing of the blood of Christ, our noble purposes will amount to nothing and the results of our little preachments will be zero.

Question? Have you said that wonderful yes to Jesus Christ and believed the Gospel? If not, there is no time to lose. God does not give us forever to believe in Jesus Christ. Rather, he invites us to come now.

The Exciting Part
Now here's an exciting part of becoming a Christian. When I believe the Gospel, I am not only saved for eternity, but I am given a thousand wonderful things to do, to be, to accomplish, to contemplate in this world. Christians are not, as some say, dependent people who need a crutch. Not at all, but rather Christians are intelligent individuals who came to the place where they believe the Word of God and have brought into their lives the hope of eternal life. I suggest, if you are still looking for this reality, that you accept Christ today.

Then, watch for the beautiful things that God will do so that your life will be trans-formed into something terrific. A thousand promises will be made to you that come from the Bible that are like golden treasures. Think of the promise, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Even in a troubled world like this one, you have the promise that “the Lord shall guide you continually” (Is. 58:11). In fact, I have taken as my own life verse Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” This verse, by any standard, is a great treasure.

Taken from the writings of Dave Breese
Edited and Revised by the Christian Destiny Staff