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Quote of the day:

“We can be in our day what the heroes of faith were in their day, but remember at the time they didn't know they were heroes.”

_{- A.W. Tozer}

Today’s Headlines

Michael Oher v. Tuohy

Michael Oher, famous for the 2009 movie “The Blind Side” has filed a lawsuit for nearly $15M and an end to his conservatorship. The lawsuit alleges that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy profited from former NFL player Michael Oher's name and likeness, and tricked Oher into signing the conservatorship for their own profit. The Tuohys have vehemently refuted these claims. The family's attorney, Martin Singer, labeled Oher's accusations as a "shakedown effort". Singer dismissed the idea of their profiting from Oher as "transparently ridiculous." He stated that it's inconceivable for a wealthy couple like the Tuohys to withhold minor profit payments from someone they cared for like a son. Singer also emphasized the family's hope for reconciliation with Oher while asserting their determination to defend their reputation against what they view as an offensive lawsuit.

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The Remnant’s Response:

As if the world wasn't already filled with enough sadness, today we are blind-sided by the realization that one of the best "feel good" stories of the last decades is being 'sacked' right before our eyes. While it is impossible at this point for us to know the truth in this story, it is a good reminder of how fickle and disappointing human relationships can be (John 2:24-25). Even after years of celebrated closeness, this story is a sad reminder that the potential for betrayal always lurks (Psalm 55:20-21). Treachery is a reality in a world wrecked by sin and filled with sinners (2 Timothy 3:1-4). While brothers who offend are a certainty in life, only a fool will decide to "never love again" to protect themselves from being hurt. The best way to ensure we DO get hurt is to commit to never love (Genesis 2:18).

True love has always been marked by "not taking into account a wrong suffered" and " believing, hoping, and enduring all things" (1 Corinthians 13:5-7). Guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23), but don't lock it up and throw away the key because loving and serving others is the key to loving your life (Mark 8:34-35).

Disagreements are inevitable in this fallen world, and how we respond to them is one of the main ways we show ourselves to be part of God's remnant (Luke 6:35-36). Because our Father loves us, He warns us to "abandon the quarrel before it breaks out" because the "beginning of strife is like the letting out of water" (Proverbs 17:14).

As the story continues to unfold, we can pray that both sides, especially given that both have expressed faith, do everything they can to restore the beauty that once was displayed in their love for one another. If it happens, don't count on it being reported as widely by the media as the current trouble is, but it will be an even better story than the one that made hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office.

Rich Men North of Richmond

In a matter of days, Oliver Anthony's "Rich Men North of Richmond" (warning: offensive language in lyrics) has transformed from a viral sensation into a legitimate country hit garnering over 19 million views in just nine days on YouTube alone.

The song expresses the frustration of a working-class individual and has meteorically climbed the charts on Apple Music and Spotify. Anthony, previously an unknown Virginia factory worker named Christopher Anthony Lunsford, found solace in songwriting during personal struggles.

A performance of "Rich Men North of Richmond" on the YouTube channel RadioWV propelled the song's popularity, leading to endorsements from prominent conservatives and country stars. Despite his newfound fame, Anthony remains focused on his music's connection with listeners facing similar challenges. Anthony's song echoes country music's tradition of addressing working-class issues, though some have critiqued his portrayal of welfare recipients.

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The Remnant’s Response:

Tucked away in God's Word is a book written by the prophet Jeremiah called Lamentations. While Jeremiah's book has unfortunately not gone 'viral' in our day, it carries similar themes found in this song. Jeremiah's "lyrics" describe the sadness around a city wrecked by sin. "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! She has become like a widow who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces, has become a forced laborer! She weeps bitterly in the night, And her tears are on her cheeks. She has none to comfort her among all her lovers. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies. Judah has gone into exile under affliction and under harsh servitude. She dwells among the nations, but she has found no rest; all her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of distress. The roads of Zion are in mourning." (Lamentations 1:1-4).

While West Virginia has not been under siege by a foreign enemy, it has, like Israel, suffered because of misery brought on by sin. Anthony laments the effects of sin in his land, where workers' souls are enslaved by too much work and insufficient pay that leaves them despairing day after day as they "drag back home and drown [their] troubles away," hating their world, wishing they could "wake up and it not be true." The song resonates because people living today, like people in Jeremiah's day, were made for a different land where humans flourish instead of flounder. To quote a specific lyric, "Lord, it's a d*mn shame what the world's gotten to."

God would agree.

The important thing is for us to agree with God's solution. Jeremiah sheds clarity on why we and Jerusalem are writing laments. "Because they have perverted their way, They have forgotten the LORD their God." Lamentations 3:21b), and he tells us the solution one verse later, "Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness" (Lamentations 3:22).

While it is appropriate to write laments, the hope is that our sadness causes us to turn away from rebellion against the goodness of God's way and return to Him where our "mourning will turn to dancing" (Psalm 30:11-12).

Many relate to Anthony's song. Let's pray they remember Jeremiah's solution. May we lead our nation out of needing to write songs of lament by reminding them of these words in Lamentations, "The LORD'S loving-kindnesses indeed never cease. For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness... 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.' The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:22-25).

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Other news you should know

💅🏻 Barbie surpasses The Dark Knight as the highest-grossing movie ever for Warner Bros Inc.

🛒 Because of Winn-Dixie, the supermarket store Aldi acquired 400 new stores across the south.

🤾‍♂️ Injunction continues to block Idaho’s women’s sports law protecting female sports from male athletes.

🤑 Mortgage rates are at an all-time high.

💉 Viral drug Ozempic working in ways scientists can’t understand.

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