Proverbs 26:12 "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."
We have seen them, we have heard them, and we know them, the wise guys and the wise girls who seem to know it all. From sports to parenting, from politics to dating, from preaching to shopping, they seem to have all the answers, and love to enlighten all who would listen. I was in a bagel shop the other day and overheard two buddies sharing their vast wisdom on everything. First they discussed how to make I-Phones better, they then moved on to how to make the New York Yankees better, from there they debated how to make some other guy's marriage better. I unfortunately had to leave as they were fixing the economy. The above proverb is so profound as it rebukes the worst kind fool, the fool who thinks he is wise. The placement of this verse is perfect in that it kind of sets you up for the truth to smack you between the eyes. In the first eleven verses Solomon rails on fools. By verse eleven it is easy to get angry at fools, you begin to apply the verses to those you consider fools, and you begin to thank God that you are not a fool. Just when you are feeling pretty good about your own wisdom, the devastating truth of verse twelve hits you, there is more hope for a fool, then for someone who thinks he is wise. Ouch! Yes, the truth hits close to home, and the truth does hurt. We are taught that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). I must recognize that I don't have my act together, I don't have all the answers, and I am in desperate need of the Lord's wisdom. As much as I may not want to admit it, I must settle this as fact, I am a dunce without the Lord. To walk in wisdom today and everyday, we must humble or foolish hearts, and be set to listen to and obey our God who alone is wise (1 Timothy 1:17).
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Schedule For The Day
"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:8
How humbling and convicting is this verse. The apostle Paul is stating his priorities for life, and he says that he counts everything as rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. He is very simply and clearly telling us, that there is nothing more important in our lives then our relationship with the Lord. For Paul anything that he might contrast with Jesus would pale so much that it would be to him as trash. Now think about your plans for today, the priority list you have made, the order of things you need to accomplish today. Where have you placed Jesus on that list? Now, I know that we all, as Christians, make the sentimental confession that Jesus is first in our hearts and plans. But what is the concrete reality of your schedule today? Have you set aside time this day to get to know Jesus more, to commune with your Lord, to hear from His word, and to worship Him? If you haven't then you may want to check your priorities. Is there any rubbish you can move aside that you might be about the most important business of the day?
How humbling and convicting is this verse. The apostle Paul is stating his priorities for life, and he says that he counts everything as rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. He is very simply and clearly telling us, that there is nothing more important in our lives then our relationship with the Lord. For Paul anything that he might contrast with Jesus would pale so much that it would be to him as trash. Now think about your plans for today, the priority list you have made, the order of things you need to accomplish today. Where have you placed Jesus on that list? Now, I know that we all, as Christians, make the sentimental confession that Jesus is first in our hearts and plans. But what is the concrete reality of your schedule today? Have you set aside time this day to get to know Jesus more, to commune with your Lord, to hear from His word, and to worship Him? If you haven't then you may want to check your priorities. Is there any rubbish you can move aside that you might be about the most important business of the day?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Trust Him....it is good!
Philippians 1:6 "being confident in this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Can I make a suggestion to you? Get out your bible and look up the above verse and underline with a very bright color the word "good". It will serve as an important reminder of something we can all easily forget. In the midst of trials, or rough days, or a difficult season, it is easy to forget that God is doing a "good" work in our lives. This is not a cross your fingers or wishful thinking verse, Paul speaks with great confidence that God is indeed doing a "good" work. We have all had those times when we consider the happenings of life and wonder what good can ever come from these things. In those difficult times we may not be able to answer all the questions, but we can surely place our confidence in the certain promise of God. I used to work for a landscaper who was a true artist. He hired me to do the demolition work. I would rip up and uproot, and he would beautifully rebuild. My boss was very gifted at what he did, he could look at any yard and catch a well-formed vision for what it could be. That vision would begin taking form with my demolition. I have to admit when I first started working for him, I would rip things up with a little fear, wondering how the mess I was making could ever turn out good. After working with him on several jobs my doubts were done away with, as this artist would amaze me with the beauty of his finished work. There were times during my demolition work, that I would have to assure the homeowner that we knew what we were doing. I with confidence would say, trust us it will turn out awesome, and it always did! And so it is with our Lord. You may be wondering why this is being torn down, or that is being uprooted. It may hurt some and there may be some discomfort, but trust the Lord, for He is faithful and has begun a good work in you. He already knows the end that work, and it is beautiful.
Can I make a suggestion to you? Get out your bible and look up the above verse and underline with a very bright color the word "good". It will serve as an important reminder of something we can all easily forget. In the midst of trials, or rough days, or a difficult season, it is easy to forget that God is doing a "good" work in our lives. This is not a cross your fingers or wishful thinking verse, Paul speaks with great confidence that God is indeed doing a "good" work. We have all had those times when we consider the happenings of life and wonder what good can ever come from these things. In those difficult times we may not be able to answer all the questions, but we can surely place our confidence in the certain promise of God. I used to work for a landscaper who was a true artist. He hired me to do the demolition work. I would rip up and uproot, and he would beautifully rebuild. My boss was very gifted at what he did, he could look at any yard and catch a well-formed vision for what it could be. That vision would begin taking form with my demolition. I have to admit when I first started working for him, I would rip things up with a little fear, wondering how the mess I was making could ever turn out good. After working with him on several jobs my doubts were done away with, as this artist would amaze me with the beauty of his finished work. There were times during my demolition work, that I would have to assure the homeowner that we knew what we were doing. I with confidence would say, trust us it will turn out awesome, and it always did! And so it is with our Lord. You may be wondering why this is being torn down, or that is being uprooted. It may hurt some and there may be some discomfort, but trust the Lord, for He is faithful and has begun a good work in you. He already knows the end that work, and it is beautiful.
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