Today’s Thought “Peace On Earth?” G. Ward

 

“Why are times not stored up by the Almighty, and why do those who know Him not see His days?
 “Some remove the landmarks; They seize and devour flocks. “They drive away the donkeys of the orphans; They take the widow’s ox for a pledge. “They push the needy aside from the road;
The poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether. “Behold, as wild donkeys in the wilderness They go forth seeking food in their activity, as bread for their children in the desert.
 “They harvest their fodder in the field and glean the vineyard of the wicked. “They spend the night naked, without clothing, and have no covering against the cold. “They are wet with the mountain rains
and hug the rock for want of a shelter. “Others snatch the orphan from the breast, and against the poor they take a pledge. “They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaves from the hungry. “Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but thirst.
 “From the city men groan, and the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God does not pay attention to folly.” Job 24:1-12

 

Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela died of Cancer on yesterday. He was regarded as a tyrannical dictator for years by capitalistic nations like ours; particularly after his failed coup attempt against Venezuela’s government in 1992. Through a democratic process he was elected by his own countrymen in 1999. Moreover, by his own he was regarded as a “champion to the poor.”

Venezuela is the fourth largest exporter of oil in the world. Therefore their elitists have benefitted greatly at the hands of the poor. Chavez’s blatant objection to this disenfranchisement stemmed from his growing up in abject poverty; a witness to this travesty. Perhaps his means to the elimination of abject poverty in Venezuela was somewhat mis-directed, but it was his conviction; right or wrong. Moreover, where is our boast with a two-party system that perpetuates more divisiveness than continuity at the expense of citizenry?

Job, like many of us bombarded with media disseminations of Chavez as tyrannical, found those violators of Holy God’s law as contemptuous. Furthermore, he was overwhelmed with how their blatant disregard goes unpunished (cf. Ps. 73). In this New Testament era, our charge emanates from God’s word found in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Happy Wednesday!