For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” Mark 6:18

The world of John the Baptist was anything but rosy. The spiritual leaders were corrupt; the occupation troops were oppressive; and King Herod was living in flagrant adultery.

If immorality cannot be tolerated in low places, the certainly it cannot be condoned in high places. With privilege comes responsibility.

The will and the Word of God had touched the heart and soul of John. He could not remain silent. He spoke out against the evils of his day, though it meant imprisonment and death in a foul Roman dungeon. Thomas Carlyle said that everyone must answer the question: “Wilt thou be a hero or a coward?” Perhaps we all have a bit of both in us.

We live in a day when circumstances are not always conducive to decency and truth. Do we remain strangely silent in the face of the tremendous racial, social, moral, and spiritual problems of our day? As those who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, do we have a testimony to share? Do we have the courage to stand for the truth regardless of the consequences?

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to face reality and the problems of this day in the spirit of Jesus, my Lord; in Him I pray. Amen.

(Devotions from “The Abundant Life” copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 19-20    John 5:25-47

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