I. Life’s Injustice vs. Human Ideals

            Why do we not live in a perfect world?  Everyone has personal ideals for what represents a perfect life.  Our ideals are not being met but man desires to see them fulfilled.  There is no “Fountain of Youth” but everyone would like to live forever in the vigor of youth.  Man aspires to give and receive benevolent love in abundant measure, and yet selfish behavior is the dominant force in man's relationships whether of family, friends or marriage because of the egocentric conditions placed on them.  And everyone desires to live in a world with universal peace, but utopian life does not exist on earth, not with the smothering cruelty and suffering taking place every moment of every day. 

            There are many reasons why utopia remains far from our reach.  But at the heart of it all a spirit of cruel ambition rules among the people of Earth.  And the consequence of this is that the basic needs of the common man are withheld by the many immoral practices permitted within government, business, religion, medicine and science.  There is no station in life that has not been infected by the insatiable lust of ambition.  The common philosophy of life upheld today guarantees the literal sacrifice of human life on the altar of ambition.  And while hiding behind a façade of care and security this immoral behavior is even viewed as a desirable means of upholding day-to-day living.  The result, today’s values overrule the moral standard of courteous behavior, that, if honored, would bless every man, woman and child, preventing a host of needless afflictions.

1. Why is there hardship?

Genesis 8:21  And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for ____  ______________ of man’s heart ___  ______ from his youth; neither will I smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

            After the flood of Noah’s day, the LORD stated the basic character of mankind.  And it is this character that prevents any real reforms to reverse the tide of man’s destructive ways.

Revelation 12:12  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. ____  ___  ____  _____________  ___  ____  _______ and of the sea! for ____  _______  ___  ______ down unto you, ________  ________  ________, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

            The source of every crime against humanity and life in general can only be explained by the existence of fallen beings that work to blind our natural discernment knowing right and wrong.  The many temptations that lead to self-destruction as well as those which harm others have their source in the hidden dimension of demon spirits.

Genesis 3:17  And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground _____  ______  _________; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

         Unless GOD allowed a degree of hardship to exist none would learn to hate sin or to even recognize its cancerous effect of sapping the life from its victims. A simple path has been made plain for man to walk, in which our mutual safety is dependent; and any deviation from that path, and obstacles will be set before man imploring him to retrace his steps and return to the clear and passable way.

Psalm 107:18-20  Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.  _______  _______  _____  ______  ______  _______  ____  ______  ____________, and _____  _________  _______ out of the their distresses. He sent His word, and healed them, and ___________ them from their destructions.

Psalms 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; _______  ____  __________  __________  _____  ___________.

2. Is there any way to lessen the hardships of life?

Deuteronomy 7:12-15  Wherefore it shall come to pass, ____  _____  _____________ to these judgments [GOD'S recommendations], and _______, and ____ them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers: And He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: He will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which He sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be _________  ________  _____  ___________: there ______  _____  ____ male or female ______________ among you, or among your cattle.  And the LORD will _______  ________ from thee _____ sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee [inspiring their actions, even through jealousy, to follow the counsel providing good health].” 

         Bible Guidelines have been set forth describing every safe path: everything from diet to morality: even making apparent the result of those actions in how they affect our relationship with GOD, with one another, and with the ecology of our planet.

3. What are these “judgments” that we are admonished by

     GOD to keep for our mutual welfare?

Ecclesiastes 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: _______  ______  ______  _______  ______  __________________: for this is the whole duty of man.

Revelation 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and ______  _________  _____  _____________.

         The principle is very simple: if the world's population cherished the Ten Commandments of GOD there would be no severe hardship for anyone.  There would be no wars or locks on doors.  Prisons would be turned into gardens and every weapon of war dismantled.  Heaven has its boundaries of jurisdiction where GOD has the legal right to protect and hold back the forces of destruction.  The books of Leviticus, chapter 26 and Deuteronomy 28 declare that any nation who comes under the umbrella of GOD’S jurisdiction will be exempt from all natural disasters, famines and disease.  But to stand outside of those boundaries GOD is legally helpless to intervene, for He cannot be an accomplice to the choices of men that foster harm to themselves, and thus, make GOD a transgressor of His Holy Law: the same Law that commanded man’s salvation through Jesus Christ. 

         GOD’S Word teaches that if men honored His laws preserving the security of life, established kingdoms and nations would never have fallen.  Disasters of tornados, floods, and pestilence would never have entered the borders of such a nation bearing the fruits of godliness exemplified in the Ten Commandments. 

         We have been given a sense of right and wrong to appreciate the morality that insures justice, mercy and love.  Each of these virtues stems from the foundation of GOD'S Holy Law.  The manner in which we educate our sensibilities determines our level of achievement in both understanding and good deeds toward our fellow man.

4. Does the Bible teach that the level of godliness in a nation

     determines its growth or its failing?

Proverbs 14:34  Righteousness exalteth a nation: but ______  _____  ____  ______________ to any people.

Proverbs 20:28  _________  _____  _________  ______________  _____  ________: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

Jeremiah 12:17  But ____  ________  ______  ______  _________, I will __________  __________ up and ___________ that nation, saith the LORD.

5. Does GOD grieve when the chosen path of His children

     works against their own safety?

Genesis 6:5,6  And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and _____  ____________  ______  _____  ______  __________.

Lamentations 3:33 For ______  ________  ______  ____________  ________________ nor grieve the children of men.  

Ezekiel 18:32  ______  ____  ________  _____  ______________  ____  ______  _________  ____  ______  _______  _________, saith the LORD God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

 6. What assurance is there that life’s injustices will one day

      be done away, and replaced with one that meets the

      ideals of Utopia?

Revelation 21:4,5  And God shall wipe away _____  _________ from their eyes; and there shall be ____  _______  _________, neither ____________, nor ______________; neither shall there be any more __________: for the former things _____  _________  ________.  And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold,  ____  _________  ______  ___________  _______. And He said unto me, Write: for _______  ___________  ______  ________  ______  _____________.