For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. (Isaiah 8:11-13, 17 ESV)

The words of God through the prophet Isaiah remain relevant because I believe we keep recycling the same problems over and over again. The evil and injustice that persisted centuries ago are very much alive today because of sin. Until everyone undergoes a radical transformation by allowing the Lord to sift out all the bad and replace it with all his goodness, we will continue to live through the immoralities that we have created.

The brokenness of this world was our doing. We brought it on ourselves because we chose to follow the lies of the devil. What really bothers me is that Satan keeps pushing his lies and temptations through radio, television, and social media. He finds ways to plant a thought or an idea in sneaky ways, to make us think that his idea is the actual norm and anyone who opposes him is intolerant and evil. This punk of an enemy wants his message to go viral, so that he creates division, confusion, and a severe distrust between people, and especially with any sincere authority and mainly God himself.

If you want to breed anarchy, then be sure to infuse suspicion, instigate arguments, and promote the animalistic instincts of self-preservation. Before you know it, society will find people to blame, hate, and persecute. And when the terrors of their actions result in harm and bloodshed, they will according to Isaiah, “pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward” (Isaiah 8:21).

God is not the author of evil; Satan is because he is the father of lies. The Lord is telling us to not get caught up in conspiracy theories. We should instead be revering and following him. Jesus is our true King and he reminds us with these words:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).

He also reassures us that he is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). His motives are pure and without deceit, driven by his love for the Father who also love us. So let’s take a time out from the negative news and the divisive rhetoric that keeps stirring up an unrighteous anger. Let us instead behold the words of Jesus and his teachings because He is the only One who can inspire and sustain unity.