Devo, "Beautiful World

For some folks, the world is a beautiful place. These people have plenty of friends and good families. They go where they want to and do whatever they please. Neither are they short of money or have to count their pennies.

It isn't that way for everybody. As this song by the New Wave band, Devo, says, not everybody agrees that it's a beautiful world. Listen to the song here:

Solomon, declared in the Bible to be the wisest man, also saw the reality of this broken world. People think wealth will satisfy them but Ecclesiastes 4:8 (Bible in Basic English) says of those who crave wealth, "It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work."

We also live on a planet troubled by famine. The Middle East had many during the time the books of the Bible were written. Warned by God, Joseph interpreted pharaoh's two dreams. In Genesis 41:29-31 (BBE) he told him just how severe it would be. "Seven years are coming in which there will be great wealth of grain in Egypt; And after that will come seven years when there will not be enough food; and the memory of the good years will go from men's minds; and the land will be made waste by the bad years; And men will have no memory of the good time because of the need which will come after, for it will be very bitter."

When we have plenty to eat and drink, and plenty of comforts, we tend not to depend on God as much as we ought. Solomon prayed about this in 1 Kings 8:37-39 (BBE) when he dedicated the temple. "If there is no food in the land, or if there is disease, or if the fruits of the earth are damaged through heat or water, locust or worm; if their towns are shut in by their attackers; whatever trouble, whatever disease there may be: Whatever prayer or request for your grace is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, whatever his trouble may be, whose hands are stretched out to this house: Give ear in heaven your living-place, acting in mercy; and give to every man whose secret heart is open to you, the reward of all his ways; for you, and you only, have knowledge of the hearts of all the children of men:"

We live in hope that a time will come when the new earth will replace this broken world. Revelation 21:3 and 4 (BBE) encourages us with this great announcement. "And there came to my ears a great voice out of the high seat, saying, 'See, the Tent of God is with men, and he will make his living-place with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God. And he will put an end to all their weeping; and there will be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, or pain; for the first things have come to an end.'"

But if that awesome day hasn't arrived by Thursday, I hope to post about those unfortunate children who were born out of wedlock.