Without good direction, people lose their way ...

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When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers; when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates. When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes; evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time. Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances. -Proverbs 11:10-11,14

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In the United States, my country, a war of ideas has been raging for as long as I can remember - the country was founded on big ideas like freedom and unalienable God-given rights. And for many years faith has played a major role - when I came to faith in 1976 one of the candidates was a strong Christian who was pictured many times praying in public. That candidate was elected that year but ousted four years later by Christians who did not embrace his ideas.

So when Solomon speaks of things going "well for good people" I wonder about the application for our lives today and if his words are more ideological than practical. Yet it causes me to remember that:

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

I have watched apathy gain a strong hold of my generation and the ones following mine. These words from Edmund Burke ring out and resonate with what Solomon opines in today's verses. Engagement in our culture is not an option. We must pray and work for God's will to be done and kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

Once again we kneel Lord and ask for your will to be done and your kingdom to come - on earth as it is in heaven.

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