"Thus saith the Lord,
What iniquity have your fathers found in me,
that they are gone far from me,
and have walked after vanity,
and are become vain?"
Jeremiah 2:5
King James Version
A striking thing was revealed yesterday.
Vanity.
The covid crisis had quarantined a lot of people, and of course, surely, you'd have noticed that social media posts were toned down a bit.
People could not boast about their looks, their food, their purchases, their wealth, their cars, their relationships, their latest acquisitions, their expensive gadgets, their cool apps, their latest art, their travels, their latest projects, or whatever they were occupied with.
There was a platform, but there was no audience.
I honestly felt in my heart that this health crisis is being allowed by God, in order for man to reveal himself.
And perhaps, only then will God act, once man has shown what idols he adores the most.
And you know how God hates idols, and we have many forms of those.
Sure, people turned to God for a while, praying to Him, and praising Him, but of course, humans have short memories, as my brother would say.
I learned yesterday that a local mall may have its tenants re-open their shops.
And what do you know?
Shops that may re-open are not food-based.
Nope, food stores have been open since day one, and raking in the bucks because of rich man's insatiable desire to be fed, and be fed well, even as his less fortunate brothers and sisters, are lucky to be fed at all.
Shops that will re-open, this time around, are beauty salons, and clothing stores.
That spoke volumes in itself.
Where many of my countrymen are barely fed, and barely surviving, the mall management saw it fit to re-open the shops, as people needed income.
To my mind, it's the owners who do.
They need to rake in the usual bucks, because they're paying for high rent, and by golly, they've got to spring back into action, for they, too have loans, receivables, and payments to make.
Plus, many people have become restless.
People have become spoiled.
They need to look beautiful again.
They need to be admired again.
Sure, this will create income for employees, and the ball will start rolling towards this obsession with vanity, enticing the usual customers who are suffering from lack of care.
I read some news that one young woman was caught by the police having a hair re-bond, when that money was supposed to have been given for food.
Others would gamble that money away.
Others would drink, even if there's a liquor ban.
No wonder, the rich scoffed at the poor, not as if they're perfect themselves.
Of course, there are many layers to these incidents, and only God knows everything about each one of us.
The prophet Jeremiah had powerful thoughts on vanity:
"And when thou art spoiled,
what wilt thou do?
Though thou clothest thyself with crimson,
though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold,
though thou rentest thy face with painting,
in vain shalt thou make thyself fair;
thy lovers will despise thee,
they will seek thy life."
Jeremiah 4:30 (KJV)
When you have become a born again, you will not even think of personal beauty anymore.
Everything will have been offered up to the LORD.
Only God matters, in good times, and in awful times.
A woman, after God's heart, would turn to this verse, instead:
"Favour is deceitful,
and beauty is vain:
but a woman that feareth the Lord,
she shall be praised."
Proverbs 31:30 (KJV)
You know what's funny?
I used to wear light lip color, a very ordinary, and inexpensive lip color.
But wearing a face mask literally "wiped" out all thoughts of that, so I laughed, and let that lip color go.
I let most vain stuff go.
Where I had been simple, I got even simpler.
Waiting in long lines to commute, rushing to get home from errands and groceries, carrying all that heavy load will make sure you will dress simply, and comfortably.
Of course, those who have cars, drivers, and helpers, don't go through what we every day folks go through.
I would even read remarks on social media that it's not the rich man's fault that the less fortunate are suffering as they are.
Well, they didn't save money, one haughtily said.
As if we'd be able to take anything with us at the end of our days.
I smile even more.
One lady driver even brushed my elbow, as her car passed by, intending to park, and there I was checking out some items at the gate.
Either she's a very poor driver, with very poor vision, or she didn't care.
I think it was the latter.
I'm bigger than a banana, surely I could be seen up close.
And I thought to myself, how wonderful God is, testing us, having us reveal more of ourselves, and watching as we do.
Somehow, I am as eager as God to see how people reveal more of themselves.
Vanity is but one thing that surfaced.
People could not hide their true colors.
They pretend to help people, but, of course, only God is truly benevolent.
Only God has pure intentions.
So, I trust God alone.
And I pray:
"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity;
and quicken thou me in thy way."
Psalm 119:37 (KJV)
If ever this covid crisis is lifted, people will merely go back to their old ways, their old habits, their old forms.
Right now, still in the midst of crisis and confusion, people have become restless, and willful.
God will act, when He sees fit -- at His own appointed time.
But it will not be a flood.
God said:
"And I will establish my covenant with you,
neither shall all flesh be cut off any more
by the waters of a flood;
neither shall there any more be a flood
to destroy the earth."
Genesis 9:11 (KJV)
The Book of Revelation tells you everything you need to know about the end times.
I also wrote another piece on the Rapture and Tribulation.
At the moment, people are still asleep, amazingly asleep, still obsessed with self, still hankering for the things of the world, and still not honoring the FATHER, as we should.
Many are still untouched by Christ's ultimate sacrifice on the cross.
For myself, having been happily awakened to the Glory of God, and the promise of eternal life, I eagerly await CHRIST!
May everyone wake up, in time.
(Image source: Max Vakhtbovych)
Updated 18 January 2022
