Micah 7:2-6 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“2The godly man has perished from the earth;
there is no one upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood;
they hunt one another with a net.
3Both hands are skilled at evil;
the prince and the judge demand a bribe.
When the powerful utters his evil desire,
they all conspire together.
4The best of them is like a brier;
the most upright is sharper than a hedge of thorns.
The day for your watchmen has come,
the day of your visitation.
Now is the time of their confusion.
5Do not rely on a friend;
do not trust in a companion.
Seal the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your arms.
6For a son dishonors his father,
a daughter rises against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
A man’s enemies are the members
of his own household.”

Making Application to Today

This passage of Scripture is taken from the Old Testament, and it was intended for the people of that time, I believe. But “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV) So there are things we can learn from this and apply to our lives and to our world today. So we should look to see how this applies to wherever we live. And I live in the USA.

From my own personal observations and experiences, and from many things I have watched (witnessed), read, and listened to from other people, and on the internet, and in person, I would say that this most likely applies to the majority of people in my nation, perhaps not in every respect, or not fully to this degree, but still evident in their lives by the things that they do and teach and speak and adhere to in daily practice. The majority are not Christians, even if they profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips.

The Godly Have Perished

And as we observe closely to what most of what is called “church” has become in the USA, definitely I would agree that the godly have all but perished from the earth, and the truly upright are few and far between. For to be godly is to be those whose lives are surrendered to the Lord to doing His will His way, on His schedule and for His purposes and glory and praise. We are those who have denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who are living in obedience to His commands in daily practice, in the power of God.

But the ungodly are those who are still living for the flesh, still doing what pleases their sinful flesh, and not to please God. Many of them are addicted to various sinful habits, the primary one appearing to be sexual immorality in our culture today. They are those who, by practice, speak lies, trick, deceive, manipulate, commit adultery, and are abusers and thieves who take from others what is not theirs to have. Many of them kill other humans without conscience, sometimes in order to gain power over other people.

Words of Wisdom

We live in a day and time, at lease here in the USA, when fakery, lies, and deception appear to be most everywhere. We get all sorts of fake emails and text messages and messages on various internet sites which have the appearance of being legitimate, but which are truly fake, and usually in order to trick and to steal from other people. So we must be so guarded today to test everyone and everything we read or hear to make certain that they are not fake, and not for the purpose to trick us and to do us harm.

But this includes the gatherings of what are called “churches,” and it includes their pastors and elders and deacons, and their teachings, and their beliefs and practices. For just because they call it “church,” it does not mean at all that it is the biblical body of Christ (of believers in Jesus Christ) who by faith in Christ Jesus have died with Him to sin and who are now walking in His righteousness and holiness, in the power of God. Many (or most) of these “institutional churches” are teaching lies, and are run by cult leaders, too.

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

Micah 7:7 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“7But as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.
My God will hear me.”

Above All, Put On Love

And don’t be surprised if your “enemies,” i.e. those who are opposed to you and to who you are, and to what you do, and to what you teach, and to how you live, if they are people you thought were your close friends, or are members of your own family, or if they are the person to whom you are married, or if they are your own siblings, or your own children, or your other relatives, etc. And they could be your pastor, or an evangelist, or anyone you look up to and admire and respect. So put your trust in God above all else.

Nonetheless, the Scriptures teach us in the New Testament that we are to love our enemies, and to do good to them, and to pray for them, and to speak to them the words which are for their good. It doesn’t mean we trust them, but that we show them love, coupled with wisdom. Even if they have hated us and done evil to us we are still to show them love and kindness. This doesn’t mean we tolerate sin or that we yield to wickedness. We do not! But we do love those who treat us badly and we treat them well, in return.

[Proverbs 24:17-20; Proverbs 25:21-22; Matthew 5:8-12,43-48; Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:27-36; Luke 10:27; John 12:25,42-43; John 13:33-35; John 14:15-21; John 15:12; Romans 12:9-11,14-21; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8; 1 Corinthians 16:14; Galatians 6:2; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 4:7-8]

The Godly and The Ungodly
An Original Work / August 30, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Love Must Be Genuine

Based off Romans 12:9-21
An Original Work / October 22, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Love must be genuine.
Hate what’s evil; cling to good.
Love each other with affection.
Show respect for ev’ryone.
Never lack in your zeal.
Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.
In affliction, patient be.
Keep on praying; share with others.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute.
Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.
Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.
Live in harmony with others.
Live at peace with ev’ryone.
Repay not to someone
With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;
Leave it to the wrath of God.
If your enemy is thirsty,
Give to him something to drink.
Do what’s right for mankind.
Evil: overcome with good.