God, the Potter, has made much of the circumstances of earth expendable in terms of His supreme purpose of bringing forth brothers of Jesus Christ. Nations rise and fall like flowers in the field. But the royal priesthood continues on its path toward perfect conformity to the image of Jesus Christ and perfect, untroubled rest in the Person of God through Christ.

The future is bright with promise, although the history of the earth will continue its path downward toward the depths of wickedness of the personality of Satan. In the darkest hour the light of God will rise on the saints. The Commander in Chief will descend from Heaven. The kingdoms of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ. He keeps the best wine until the last.

The path of the righteous shines as the light until the rising of the Sun of righteousness.

There is great glory ahead of us. Therefore we lift our eyes from the cesspools of earth knowing that not one hair on the head of the righteous will perish; all will be raised in the day of resurrection.

We know also that every wicked word and act will come up for judgment. Those who managed to evade punishment in this world, who slipped and slid around in their cunning treachery, will be held in the iron hand of God and give an answer for every point of their behavior. They will not be able to trick their way out of punishment in that day, as they have managed to do on the earth.

So we rest in God. We do not fret ourselves when we see wicked people puff themselves up and receive the acclaim of the multitude. We know their day will come soon enough. Rather we make sure that we are pleasing God ourselves so we may rest in the day of trouble.

Paul says:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8—NIV)

We have been commanded: Think about what is true!

Think about what is noble!

Think about what is right, what is pure, what is lovely.

Think about what is admirable.

Think about all that is excellent or praiseworthy.

Because of the ascendancy of wickedness in America it is extraordinarily difficult to turn aside from our fretting and dwell on that which is true, noble, and right. Most of what we read about in the newspaper is false, ignoble, and wrong.

This is why we have to set aside a place and time for prayer each day.

This is why we have to meditate in the Scriptures continually.

This is why we have to place everything on the altar of God.

This is why we have to live in and by Christ.

This is why we have to put on the whole armor of God.

This is why we have to learn to live in the heavenlies.

This is why we have to confess and renounce our sins promptly.

If we do not do these things we will keep falling back into fretting. But God will help us think about things that are wholesome, even when we are living where the throne of Satan is.

To be continued.