Read
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
Psalm 14:1a
Reflect
If you’re reading this (and there’s a good chance that right now, you are), you’re probably either a believer in God or else you’re curious about Him and are investigating God and the Bible.
Either way, for most of us, it’s probably hard to imagine having absolutely no belief – and no respect – for God and His ways. Belief is a part of who we are, and the absence of that belief is difficult to grasp.
But if you look around our world, you can tell that there are countless people who either have no belief in God whatsoever or no belief that His Word, ways and promises are real.
God, of course, doesn’t change. So when Americans constantly alter their moral views toward a more liberal understanding, they’re basically moving away from the way God sees things, and toward the way they wish He sees things.
Over time, it has become more acceptable in society to dismiss God as either a hoax, a myth or a nice story. And along the way, it’s gotten easier for most people to put him in a convenient box where they can take Him out whenever they please. Or, worse, it’s become easier to write Him off altogether.
This is nothing new. It’s been the goal of our Enemy since the beginning of time. We can see the evidence around us today. But that evidence has been growing, especially since atheists like Madeline Murray O’Hair achieved legal victories in the 1960s. (This 1965 essay by commentator Paul Harvey shows just how long this battle has been going on.)
There’s a fine line between compassion and capitulation. We can love people different from us without giving in to their beliefs and letting them infiltrate our personal faith. Jesus did this all of the time (as when he ministered to tax collectors and prostitutes without engaging in their behaviors). As Christians, the best thing we can to do push back against this moral creep is to maintain morals and standards in our own lives without being “preaching” or strident toward those who don’t share our views.
Today, pray that the Lord will strengthen your resolve to live the Christian life. Also, pray that He will give you His heart for the lost, and that, through the leading of the Spirit, your gentle moral stand may spark the curiosity of those who don’t know Him.
Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
