More From Barney Cargile III

I originally wrote my devotional “Crumbling Empires” in 2019. It is centered around the futility of placing our confidence in the things of this world. Clearly so much has changed in the world since I wrote my devotional, which underscores the truth of the message. Due to the world-wide pandemic, so many people have been affected financially, physically, and emotionally. God has shown all of us that the things around us, although beautiful in many ways, can all be described as “crumbling empires.”

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning here in the West my family and I were passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship, which sailed out of San Francisco in early 2020. My wife and I traveled with our daughter, son-in-law, and their three small children. When COVID-19 was discovered onboard, we were immediately confined to our cabins for six days, and quarantined for a total of twenty days.

The outbreak and quarantine created so much worry and fear among our fellow passengers. Very little was known about the virus at that time, and a common belief in those early days was that anyone who contracted the virus was likely to die from it. Although we had our moments of doubt, my family and I were able to find great strength in our faith and the hope we have in Jesus. Early on, I recall complaining to God about our situation. But instantly God reminded me of all I had to be grateful for. After that, whenever I began to slip into self-pity, the Lord filled my heart with grateful thoughts.

God gave us the opportunity to witness to our fellow passengers about our faith, and I believe God used us to encourage them. In addition, we were interviewed numerous times by the press and television, and we were able to testify to God’s goodness in our lives.

In the months that followed, I wrote two books. The first one chronicles our family’s adventures. The second book is a fifty-day devotional. The purpose of both books is to encourage and offer hope in these difficult days.

This entire experience over the past year has served as a reminder of the theme I wrote about for The Upper Room two years ago. We should enjoy the good things of this world, but we cannot place our confidence in them. This world, and all it offers, simply cannot fulfill us. More than ever, I and many others have come to realize that these things are “crumbling empires.”