“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one,” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

The Bible promises that times will get worse, all the way up to the end.

It’s a crying shame, but you don’t have to look very far to prove that point. The tragic shootings Easter weekend in Tulsa, Okla., are life-and-death examples that the work of Satan always cannot be understood. The world struggles to find a solution, but the Bible says that lawlessness is a mystery and only will be brought to a stop by the second coming of Christ.

We are not alone in feeling discouraged by what we see going on in this country. Almost 40 years ago, a young Indiana songwriter also was discouraged, so much so that it helped throw him in a state of deep and hopeless depression.

Some of you remember the times. Racial tension was tearing our country apart; the Vietnam war just was past its peak; and three U.S. heroes who wanted to see a different America – President John Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Sen. Bobby Kennedy – were shot down in their prime.

Against that backdrop, this young, promising songwriter just couldn’t bear the thought of bringing another child in this world. In fact, his wife, then pregnant with their third child, described how they both felt: “Bill and I would talk about the circumstances of this world, and about this new discouragement, and wind up saying, ‘If this world is like this now, what will it be like in 15 or 16 years for our baby? What will this child face?’ We were filled with fear and uncertainty.”

That uncertainty turned to endless hope one spring afternoon when Bill’s father provided him with a modern-day parable. Bill just had paved a parking lot next to his office, and there in the middle of the newly paved lot grew a tiny blade of green grass. His father showed him that lonely blade of grass, suggesting that it had a direct connection with of the hope we have in Christ. Bill’s wife later said, “It was confirming a truth that had been pushing its way to the surface of our souls: Life wins! Life wins!”

The rest is history. That young Indiana songwriter was none other than Bill Gaither. It was after his father convinced him that hope is never lost for the Christian that he penned “Because He Lives,” a reminder to us all that hope is never lost for Christians.

Life is difficult, and these are dark times in which we live. But we have a gift – salvation – that provides light that will show us the way in spite of what may be going on in our world. In fact, Jesus himself said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life,” (John 8:12).

That light still shines, my friends. And Gaither’s chorus to “Because He Lives” is as true today as it ever was:

“Because he lives,

“I can face tomorrow

“Because he lives,

“All fear is gone;

“Because I know he holds the future,

“And life is worth the living just because he lives.”

Hold on to the promises of God and remember what the Apostle John told us: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved,” (John 3:17).

Write to Mike Ruffin at mike.ruffin@devotions.com. His website is devotions.com.