No pleasure?

Pleasure flourishes in much of the developed world today. Modern transportation, communication, the abundance of wealth and prosperity abounds. The restaurants are full, the malls are full, vacation resorts are full and life seems sweet to most people in the USA, Canada and in Europe, along with other developed countries.

Yet in other parts of the world, it is a starkly different picture. The suffering of the masses is almost incomprehensible. Children and adults lacking the most basic of human needs are ravaged by hunger, deprivation and living conditions most of us simply cannot imagine. But, there it is on your nightly television screen for all the world to see.

Reactions to these disturbing scenes vary from person to person and from group to group. Some blow it off as a minor problem. Others dig in and do what they can to relieve the suffering. Doctors treat the illnesses on a voluntary basis. Foodstuffs pour in to stave off starvation, but it is too little too late for many.

The organizations which work so hard to alleviate the suffering are to be lauded and encouraged as much as possible. But, the basic, underlying problem remains the same, and that is human nature running rampant. Vanity, jealousy, lust, and greed are at the heart of every tragic situation.

As I write these words, one can see why so many people become discouraged. Many of the world's problems result from hastily made decisions that bear bitter fruit, sometimes for generations.

Moral teaching has been removed from public education in the USA and many other developed nations. For many people there is no "right or wrong," there is only "behavior," some of which is acceptable and some not acceptable, depending upon the circumstances. Situational ethics is a false concept that is commonly accepted today which results in inappropriate decisions and failed efforts.

So-called "white collar crime" is often perpetrated by some who have lost their way and who don't know or don't care what is right or wrong. Fraud, embezzlement, bribery, which is so prevalent in much of the world, grand larceny and petty theft, would all disappear if the basic rule of "You shall not steal" was practiced. Assault, murder and other crimes of violence would be unheard of instead of widespread, if only the law that says "You shall not kill" was applied in the broad, biblical sense, as the Apostle John presented it in 1 John 3:15: "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."

God plainly states that there are some things in which He takes no pleasure. For example, "'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked'" (Ezekiel 18:23). King Solomon wrote, "For He has no pleasure in fools" (Ecclesiastes 5:4). In Psalms 7:11, King David wrote "God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day."

Now, there are also things in which the Creator God takes great pleasure, which are recorded for us in His Word: "The incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:4). The prophet Micah summed it up very succinctly: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8).

If these eternal principles were practiced, the problems that ravage the world would be solved. The Messiah is going to return to install His Government, which will bring about universal prosperity and peace. It's going to happen and you can read about in our free booklet The Ten Commandments. You can order it free of charge at www.tomorrowsworld.org.