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"Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy."
(Proverbs 31:8-9)
This week, I have been writing about the cultural war in which we find ourselves. The battle of right versus wrong is fiercer than ever. Metaxas' book, Letter to the American Church, challenged me to step up more than I had been, to do what Solomon says in Proverbs: to speak up and plead the cause of others. Many are being deceived and harmed physically and emotionally by the lies spread by so many deceived and depraved minds. You may agree but question what one person can do amid such hostility toward clear biblical teaching. Do not underestimate the impact of one voice. God used William Wilberforce to take down the African slave trade, and he used the life and martyrdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer so much that we are referring to him today as an example of how to stand against evil and speak truth to power.
To ask a question that Chuck Colson asked in his book by the same title, How Now Shall We Live? Here are some principles that I hope give you some help as a follower of Jesus in what to do:
- Realize we are involved in spiritual warfare. Satan is seeking whoever he may devour. He hates God, the Bible, and the Church; he will oppose anything righteous for which we stand and gather others to join him in the opposition.
- In this battle, put on the full armor of God, and be spiritually prepared. Ephesians 6 describes the armor of God and closes with a call to prayer. Prayer is a vital must; it is what we must do, not only in our closets but also in public.
- Speak the truth in love. We must protest in nonviolent measures, but when we do, anticipate that some will oppose you and even wish to do you physical harm.
- Keep in mind, no matter how kind and compassionate you are, you will be opposed. You may not even be allowed to speak, as this happened to me when I tried to speak to a crowd from a pro-life perspective.
- Be courageous. Having courage is not the absence of fear, but moving forward in the face of fear. Be like Deitrick Bonhoeffer who stood boldly against Hitler and the Nazi regime. Yes, it cost him his life, but he stood for what was right.
- Remember, you are not alone; God has His people who are speaking, and when you add your voice, you will join this powerful chorus.
- Remember, all evil needs to triumph is for God's people to be silent. And it will triumph, and we will face horrible times in the future if we do not stand for justice and righteousness today. The German Church can attest to the truth of this.
I know these devotions have been intense this week. But desperate times call for bold measures. I am praying for you to be bold and stand for what is right. God is with you.
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