It Is the Best of Times; It Is the Worst of Times—the Age of Wisdom and Foolishness.

Some of you know from the past that I allow myself longer than one minute on my birthday. And please note that the highlighted text offers additional devotions if you want to better understand the subjects mentioned...

It’s my seventy-second birthday tomorrow (7-18-23). When I was a twenty-four-year-old new believer, I imagined that by the time I reached this age, life would be easy and comfortable. But I think I could describe this time in my life the same way Charles Dickens began A Tale of Two Cities: 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” 

In the last ten years, my husband and I have marveled at God’s blessings in our lives, the wonderful privileges He’s given us for ministry, the global reach of Bible Love Notes (now translated into seven languages as we welcome our new Vietnamese translation!) and the opportunity to publish the Wisdom for Life devotional. We’ve been blessed by the faith of special friends and have continually been learning new and wonderful things in God’s Word. It is truly the best of times, the age of wisdom, the epoch of belief, the season of light, the spring of hope. 

But these last ten years have also been the most difficult and challenging years of our lives. We’ve been slandered, falsely accused, harshly criticized, and mocked for our faith. We’ve had people cut off relationships with us without explanation, refusing any discussion and making reconciliation impossible. And the saddest part is that most of these people were beloved friends and family who once shared our love for Christ. My husband and I can identify with David who wrote: 

“If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers” (Psalm 55:12-14). 

We are learning how our love for Christ can cause hatred and rejection from unlikely sources (Matthew 10:34-39).

Why do I share this? Because I hear regularly from other Christians who are suffering persecution in the same ways. It is a sign of the times we are living in, and we need to encourage each other to stand firm. 

Yes, we are living in a unique time in history when we are seeing a great deal of apostasy. The ex-vangelical movement is growing bigger every day as people “deconstruct and reconstruct” their Christianity, creating a belief system that rejects anything in Christianity that isn’t culturally acceptable. They recreate Jesus to fit their worldly values and their human pride. People raised in good Christian homes are rejecting their family values and sometimes rejecting their families and hypocritically judging their parents.

 

But remnant Christians are standing firm and gaining strength in the Lord!

Governments, schools, organizations, and the general population are accepting and celebrating things that break God’s heart: premarital sex, gay pride, pornography, transgenderism, abortion, etc. 

 

But remnant Christians are standing firm and gaining strength in the Lord! 

Love is being defined as hate, and hate is being defined as love; right is being defined as wrong, and wrong is being defined as right. 

 

But remnant Christians are standing firm and gaining strength in the Lord! 

Most of us can agree with Dicken’s description that in some ways, we are living in the worst of times, the age of foolishness, the epoch of incredulity, the season of darkness, and the winter of despair. 

Are we headed into the “end times”? I don’t know. But we are certainly living in a time in history where God’s truth and God’s people are being mocked and rejected. It’s a type of persecution that’s mild compared to the persecution in some countries, but it’s more than Americans have ever experienced. And it’s dividing friends, families, and churches, separating the wheat from the weeds.

As I turn seventy-two, with forty-eight years of experience as a believer, I want to end with this important statement of my faith: I never have and never will regret following Christ. I don’t like being persecuted, slandered, and rejected by culture, media, government, friends, family, and strangers. But these things pale in significance when I remember that Jesus died for me, forgiving my sins and making me His child. I love Him and I want to serve Him without compromise. 

If you are suffering in any way because of your love for Christ, please read the passages below and understand that your suffering is not an accident. And be sure to read the last passage. In fact, let's memorize it.  〜 Gail

2 Timothy 3:12-13: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 

John 15:20: “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” 

Acts 14:22: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 

The passage below was specifically given when Christ sent out the twelve disciples. We should note this context and not automatically assume it applies to all Christians. For example, when Christ sent the seventy-two disciples out in groups of two, it wasn't a universal command that all missionaries go out in groups of two. However, the truths in Matthew 10:16-42 are confirmed in other places in Scripture as applying to all Christians (e.g., Luke 12). 

Matthew 10:16-42: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. 40 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” 

Matthew 5:11-12: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

 

I hope you'll check out my book Wisdom for Life. I'm praying it does well so I'll have the opportunity to write another devotional encouraging Christians to stand firm in the Lord during these difficult times.

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