01-17-24-ENG.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

2 Timothy 3:1–7 

Have you ever played hide-and-seek? If you have, then you know that while one person counts, the rest of the people playing go hide. Well, it seems that in today’s culture, truth has gone and hid. It’s not hidden because God has hidden it. No, it’s been hidden by the overabundance of our reliance on our emotions and ideologies to guide our thoughts and beliefs. Too much of our culture today is operating based on how they want to think. Like the verse in Judges, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (21:25). 

Decisions these days are primarily being made based on feelings. Truth is being redefined based on feelings. Cultural norms are being established based on feelings. And while that is dangerous in and of itself, it gets even more dangerous when you realize that feelings change. In fact, they can change on a dime. Not only that, but feelings are different based on who you are and what perspective you have. Feelings don’t determine what’s true. They never have, and they never will. Regardless of this truth, it seems as if everything has been left to be defined by emotions, manipulation, propaganda, or agendas, which has led to cataclysmic confusion and chaos in a myriad of realms. For starters, we are witnessing psychological chaos all around us. People’s mental trajectory has gone astray because truth no longer serves as a baseline for the mind. We also see philosophical chaos as individuals and scholars doodle with ideas and theories ad nauseum. Scripture calls this ever-learning yet never coming to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7)

Today people collect information like they used to collect trading cards or limited-edition Beanie Babies. In order to return to a culture based on God’s Word as the ultimate source of truth, we must pursue the knowing of God and His Word with great sincerity and fervor. We must proclaim His Word as much as possible. And we must seek to model His kingdom values in all we say and do. 

Reaction:
In what ways does consistent time in God’s Word help align your thoughts and actions with truth? How does a removal of God’s Word from society impact society’s values? This week, identify and commit to one way that you can increase your awareness and application of God’s Word in your own life. Write down what you plan to do.

Prayer:
Jesus, I want to know Your Word more than I do already. Will You give me an increased desire to spend time in Your Word? Show me how practical it is when I apply it to the everyday decisions of my life. I ask that You will open my spiritual eyes so that I can discern truth from lies in what I hear all around me, and do this by primarily rooting more of Your Word in my mind, heart, and soul. In Your name, amen.