I grew up in the turbulent 60s, graduating from high school in 1964. Sometimes we look back at this time in our history and giggle, thinking it was mostly about hippies and “flower power”, the Beatles, and miniskirts. But much deeper issues were brewing, bringing profound change.

Civil rights protests were shaking the South, drugs were becoming a serious problem even in athletic competitions, and young men faced the shocking possibility of being sent off to war … first to Cuba because of the Cuban Missile Crisis and then to Vietnam. Our president was assassinated in 1963 and, soon after, other well-known leaders in our country were also gunned down. Cold War tensions with Russia grew as the Berlin Wall went up. It was hard to process all the developments, and harder still to figure out how to respond to them.

As a nation we would emerge from the 60s with a radically different perspective of the world, which would include a new cynicism about our government, an appetite for more choice in our social life, and a disrespect for the institutions we once honored. We began to question everything we’d ever been taught about God, authority figures, values, and our roles in society. In our youthful enthusiasm my generation assumed we could come up with a better way to run the country, better ways to raise our children, and better ways to exhibit love and personal freedom. But while some changes can be applauded, overall, our nation is not better than it was fifty years ago. We’ve simply replaced one set of problems with another.

Today, as we face the turbulence of 2020 and all the changes this pandemic has brought, we are at a crossroad again. Not only do we face the uncertainty of catching the new Coronavirus but we also see increasing violence, hatred, intolerance, and division, which adds to our anxiety and fear for the future. It reminds me of the conditions Isaiah talked about in Isaiah 59 as he described Israel – “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned into crooked roads. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey” (vv. 4, 7-8, 15). In spite of their desperate conditions, they refused to turn and seek the Lord, who promised He would forgive, restore, and heal them if they would return to Him.  

In this hour will we heed the voice of the Lord and seek His solutions? Or will we, like Israel, ignore the warning signs and continue to seek our own solutions for the problems we face? In other words, will we trust in the flesh or in the power of the living God?  

The people of God must set the example if we want to see our nation turned back to the Lord. Finding our way out of the chaos will require a change of heart and direction. We must choose to walk the path of faith and obedience God has laid out for us in His Word. “This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls’” (Jeremiah 6:16).

Jesus echoes this promise of rest in Matthew 11:29. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” As we follow Him, we can become a light to those who sit in darkness. We can be a city set on a hill that blesses everyone else around them. We can live in a way that testifies to a better way, a sure and faithful way out of the despair and confusion. By returning to the Lord ourselves, with a whole heart set on pleasing Him alone, we will become what Paul declared the church should be … “blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:15).

Last month we talked about fearing God and what that term means. One of the marks of a God-fearing person is a willingness to be taught by Him – esteeming Him as the only wise God, our Savior, whom we should honor by heeding His advice. God has revealed to us the right path to follow in His Word and has confirmed it in our hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit. So why are some in the church today abandoning long-held biblical truths for rabbit trails of human speculation? Out of a desire to find a better, a more enlightened and rational approach to life in the Spirit some are introducing new ideas by which to live our lives. These new ways may pump up our egos and give us more room to indulge in pursuits once held to be forbidden by Scripture, but they will not deliver us from the grip of sin all around us. They will prove empty and powerless to change hearts. Only by turning back to God’s original message will we find rest for our souls and shine like lights in our wicked and perverse generation. 

In this season of uncertainty and fear, let’s encourage each other to pursue and obey the Lord in everything, not trusting in our own strength or wisdom, not looking to our politicians to lead us out of the chaos. Let’s pray for revival. Share with others about His goodness and grace and find ways to bless them, even in a pandemic. Let’s approach life with hope, knowing He will make a way for us to move forward. Live out what we believe and stand firm in the face of opposition, knowing God will triumph over every opposing voice.

As followers of Jesus we set the example in our families, our communities, and our nation. The Lord’s desire for His people is that we might “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature. … Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching. … Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow up into him” (Ephesians 4:13-15).

We will only become mature and useful again as the body of Christ by returning to God’s Word, walking in obedience to His ancient path that leads to abundant life. Our help, hope, peace, and security are in Him alone.  Isaiah 30:15 sums it up beautifully:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.”