TAKING SIDES

"Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him."

Exodus 32:26

During the Civil War, someone asked President Abraham Lincoln whether he thought God was on the Union side in the conflict. Lincoln is said to have replied, "Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right." There is only one standard of absolute right and truth, and that is the one set by God in His Word. Many people claim that God is for their efforts, but those claims are only valid when they are in agreement with Scripture.

Each day we are faced with decisions as to whether we will take our stand for what is right. In our world there are many competing visions of truth, and in fact a large number of people today reject the notion that there is any such thing as settled, absolute truth. When we face such an environment, we must be aware of the temptations that attempt to lure us to make "small" compromises in order to fit in better and be accepted. But each time we yield to that impulse, we move further away from being on God’s side.

When the question is raised, "Who is on the Lord’s side?" our answer should be swift and sure. We should be willing to stand up and be counted among those who have chosen His Word and His way. Even if our society completely rejects the standards and truth of God, we do not have to join them. When most of the Israelites were worshipping the golden calf, the sons of Levi were still willing to stand up and publicly declare allegiance to God. We should do the same.

Even if no one else stands with you, you will always be on the right side while you stand