In a world brimming with evil, good still abounds.
Don’t, for your accident with ill, write off everyone
Good greets eyes that seek it. Hand not your heart
Fix not your hope on another: weakness is the nature
Of humanity. Reserve your faith, your fear, for no other
But God. If there be any goodness, any greatness, in any 
It is the harvests of grace: yet we are prone to err.
Make no one your god. Every idol, hallowed
In the temple of the heart ruins if not dethroned;
Not any one, not any idols, but God saves. Seek God
While you can, find Him before the storm. Hold tight
Don’t let go; follow hard, don’t look back. Those who do
Like lot’s wife, turn pillars that go nowhere. Seek God until
You find Him; treasure His presence, Honor His Spirit;
These are sure weapons of offense and defense
Trusted ticket to victory, route to safety and plenty.

Food for Thought: There are two possible extremes we can embrace when realities of life strike; withdrawal -when we jump to the conclusion that all men are evil; over dependence – when we become reliant and turn a burden to those who have been so good to us, to such extent that they become snares in our paths. Life is filled with ups and downs, good and bad, not only one or the other. Understanding that the delightful and unpleasant times are normal helps us to build balanced lifestyles. What is a balanced life you may ask? It is neither allowing horrid experiences drive us into holes where we trust only ourselves and no other, nor letting the amazing encounters snatch our faith from God and turn the good men involved into idols. It is understanding that true hope must be founded in God; that man will always be man – prone to weakness no matter how great, prone to good no matter how evil; planting our faith in God alone and learning through experiences, pleasant and otherwise, the wisdom that is essential for successful navigation in a world that is continually on decline. No matter what life serves us, we choose who we follow.

Scripture: O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. Psalm 63: 1.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to see the good in down times, to restrain my heart from being carried away by good, to anchor my faith in you and to make the most of experiences You allow for me, amen.