Psalm 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
Have you noticed how we are being surveilled more and more? Even in small town Holland, there are now cameras set up at the entrances to the town.
Some might suggest this is a good thing. We have less and less actual police patrols and we need some way of knowing what is going on in our town.
As a property owner, I do not want my property vandalized any more than anyone else. In my life time there have been more and more restrictions put upon law abiding citizens in the name of “crime prevention”. However, crime continues to rise. I remember, as a young boy, some thieves going to our neighbour’s farm to steal gasoline. The neighbour happened to be outside and hollered at the thieves. They got in their vehicles to flee. The neighbour had a gun and he took a shot at their car. The police were able to find the thieves because the neighbour was a good enough shot that he took out one of their tail lights.
Not that long ago there were thieves who went to a farm in Carman. The farmer confronted them and gave a warning shot with his gun. The police arrested some of the thieves, but the homeowner was also charged in that case. That action will only embolden the thieves.
The reason for the increasing crime is due to the decrease in the fear of God. When a society decides there is no God, or they can imagine their own god, you have chaos.
There are many “decent” people who respect private property, and respect other people. That is because God has given every person a conscience. Some people still listen to their conscience somewhat. However, most have a very weak conscience and right and wrong is very much dependent on the eye of the beholder.
The Bible is still the Word of God. God is still very much alive. As we read in our text, His counsel stands for ever. The laws of Canada have changed significantly in my lifetime. They have not changed for the better. God’s law has never changed and it does not need to change.
He sees everything that I do and He sees everything that you do. If we want a safe society to live in, we do not need more cameras or more oppressive laws of man.
What we need is to get back to God’s law. His counsel is not oppressive. It is perceived to be oppressive to the one who does not want to know Him.
Cain did not like God’s law because he wanted to practice his humanistic religion and be accepted of God. God said no. God was not wrong. Cain did not like God’s response, and his solution was to get rid of his righteous brother, Abel. He wrongly assumed by getting rid of Abel, God would accept him.
God rejected Cain’s warped way of thinking. He punished Cain for his sin. Cain chose to remain a rebel and he encouraged his descendants to be rebels as well. Cain is in hell today. He has been in torment for several thousand years now and will continue to be in torment for all of eternity.
Imagining our own god is not the solution. Assuming there is no God is not the solution. Adding cameras and other surveillance is not the solution. The solution is to turn to the counsel of the LORD. His peace and safety is real. It is a blessing to know Him and to serve Him.
Choose His counsel and enjoy His blessings today.
Pastor Bartel
Calvary Baptist Church of Treherne Inc.
Box 219
Treherne, MB
ROG0X0
1-204-595-6229