Proverbs 20 verse 6 says, most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness, but a faithful man, who can find? There's a touch of irony here. If everyone is good, why is it so hard to find a faithful man? Obviously, it's because most men only fool themselves and others into thinking that they're good. King David cried out in Psalm 12, 1, Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men. We can look good when comparing ourselves with other men. But that's lowering the bar, as we discussed in our previous proverb devotional. And even using that standard, it proves the rule. If I compare myself to other men, and I think I'm good in comparison, why is that? It's because most men are worse than I am, and I know good and well I'm not very good. So that demonstrates that men are not inherently good, and the only reason I may come out looking good is because most other men are not really good at all. There's another point to consider, and that's by asking, how are you defining the word good? Define the word goodness for me. You see, most people today wouldn't bat an eye, including abortionists who kill babies, mothers who kill their babies, politicians who use tax money to kill babies, and voters who elect the baby killers. They'll all be seen as good by most people as long as they're not otherwise terrible and doing horrible other things. When you define the word good like that, you're not good. And the same goes for people caught up in unrepentant, habitual sins of fornication, adultery, pornography, sodomy, blasphemy, extortion, embezzlement, lies and false witness, hatred and abuse, domestic violence, etc., etc., in a wicked society and culture where sin has been normalized. and called by other names like an affair for adultery, or art for pornography, or love for lust, or any other Orwellian-like abuse of the English language. Isaiah 520 warns, woe unto them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. And that perversion of what it means to be good is what is behind the lack of faithful men and women in modern culture and society, just as it was in the days of growing apostasy during the reign of King Solomon, when this proverb was written, and as it always is during times of evil and apostasy. When wicked men are so deceived as to think that they are good even in their wickedness, then you'll find them unfaithful. And when wicked men make up the mass majority of men in society, then finding a faithful man is like finding a needle in a haystack. A faithful man who can find. And I have lovingly, patiently confronted men through the years, and in nearly every case, they simply try to justify themselves and declare their goodness, even in the face of their blatant unfaithfulness to God or to a spouse or to me or to others. In nearly every case, I hear them tell it, I am just a self-serving jerk, or that person who's accusing me, they're just mean. and they go along their merry way to self-destruction and shipwreck, ignoring Isaiah 5.21 that goes on to say, woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight. If you are faithfully serving the Lord and being a faithful spouse or faithful parent or faithful friend or in any capacity, thank God for enabling you in spite of our nature towards sin and selfishness. As we are found faithful, we give God the glory, because it is by the power of His word that we are able to have any real goodness and bear any good fruit. It's as Jesus said in Luke 8, 15, in the parable of the sower. He said, quote, but that On the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience." End quote. Sometimes people mean well and they'll compliment me on this or that that I'm doing in ministry or the years of ministry. And I always tell them, give thanks to God. It's only by his word and by his spirit that you see what you see from me.