Warren Buffet says America’s best days are ahead and that our children will have it better than we do today. The American billionaire perhaps can afford to be this optimistic. Mr. Buffet looks at economic indicators and throws in a good old fashioned dose of American optimism in his remarks. Whatever else he sees to justify his rosy outlook it is not something readily apparent when we look at other key indicators of a nation’s moral and cultural strength.

When I study today’s world from that view I take hope and comfort. I know that life and history is not by chance, it is not futile. I know there is a God who stands watch over the nations of the earth.

I am worried.

As I read the headlines and dig deep into reasoned analysis of events and trends in the world I find cause for concern. The Wall Street Journal carries this analysis from Niall Ferguson regarding the deaths from war and terrorism since 2010:

"Since 2010, total fatalities from armed conflict in the world have increased by a factor of close to four, according to data from the International Institute of Strategic Studies. Total fatalities due to terrorism have risen nearly sixfold, based on the University of Maryland’s Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism database. Nearly all this violence is concentrated in a swath of territory stretching from North Africa through the Middle East to Afghanistan and Pakistan. And there is every reason to expect the violence to escalate as the Sunni powers of the region seek to prevent Iran from establishing itself as the post-American hegemony" ("The Real Obama Doctrine," Oct. 9, 2015).

I wrote recently about America’s retreat from the Middle East. This statistic shows what happens when America pulls back from its historic role as a shaper of world and regional order. Disorder takes its place. Spiritual blindness is at the heart of this crisis. America has retreated from its role as a global military, economic and political superpower. This blindness extends to cultural and moral vacuum created by the removal of God from the public square through Supreme Court decisions on public prayer, abortion and the definition of marriage. Our leaders, and many citizens cannot see the moral and spiritual rot created by this culture.

Isaiah’s words ring true in the streets of modern America: “You will revolt more and more. the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the hear, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been close or bound up, or soothed with ointment” (Isaiah 1:5-6). There are times I worry and grow deeply concerned about my country and what the future holds. I grieve for the people who suffer from injustice, war and random evil. I worry about what the future might hold for my grandchildren--the next generation. I do not have all the answers, but I do know the way forward. I have not lost hope for mankind and our ultimate future. Nor should you.

I know there is a God in heaven and that He has a grand overarching purpose for human life. This God, revealed in your Bible, has a purpose for you and every other human being. He is guiding and bringing that purpose to His end in all the great events surrounding us today. You can understand the headlines from the Middle East, Asia and Europe. You can understand why America goes through tumultuous cultural shifts leaving many of us wondering what happened to the country we grew up loving. God is guiding history to His planned purpose. Nothing happens without His knowledge.

When I study today’s world from that view I take hope and comfort. I know that life and history is not by chance, it is not futile. I know there is a God who stands watch over the nations of the earth. His purpose is coming to pass. Notice this encouraging passage from the Bible: “God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ–everything in heaven and on earth…and he make everything work out according to his plan” (Ephesians 1:9-11, New Living Translation).

Want to understand more of God’s purpose for your life? Continue reading in this space. If you live in Texas consider coming to one of our live appearances, America: The Time is Now! We will be in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston on Oct. 20, 22 and 25. Sign up now! Beyond Today hosts Gary Petty, Steve Myers and I will be going in this subject of God’s purpose for your life. We’ll show you from the Bible God’s plan for mankind and what you can do to make sense of this chaotic and changing world.