For the message of the cross
is foolishness
to those who are perishing,
but to us
who are being saved
it is the power of God."
(1 Corinthians 4:10; 1:18)
Today is April Fool's Day. I don't know the origin of this day, nor do I know why we are supposed to randomly trick, fool, and prank each other. Quite frankly, I do not really care to know because today, I am finding the state of the world around me to be no laughing matter.
I had not intended to write today, but the Lord gave me an assignment this morning, so I am obediently and expectantly sitting down to my keyboard.
My mind is swimming with knowledge that I wish I didn't possess today ... bits and pieces of others' broken lives are swirling around in my head. Death. Disease. Deception. Dissension. Details of things I wish I didn't know. Desperations that I wish I could relieve. Serious things. Life-and-death things. Heaven-or-hell kind of things.
And, in the midst of the burdens that I carry for these others--some of whom I know and some of whom I have never met--, I am feeling rather impatient with the foolishness of the world ... and many in it. Today, I am not in the mood to gladly suffer fools.
Yesterday morning, the Lord led me to Scriptures about wisdom and discernment, and I ended up in an online dialog with someone--whom I do not know--who did not appreciate my Christian views. After the fact, I received some information that explained her extreme vitriol. During the course of our brief communication, my spirit properly responded in love, but my heart cried out, "Is this the way you repay the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, your Creator, Who made you and formed you?" (Deuteronomy 32:6). Probably didn't help that just prior to this dialog, I learned that a friend's infant daughter died in the night of a brain hemorrhage after a valiant battle with a whole host of health issues. The entire few months of her precious life was spent in the hospital. Her family's faith was unshakeable through the unimaginable trial, and their witness for Christ, even in her death, revealed the depth of His love that dwells within them.
And, as I sit this morning, praying for the Lord to guide the writing of this humble servant, I am transfixed between the faith of those who remain firmly fixed in Christ, unflinching in the fire, (reference Daniel 3) and the foolishness of those who ... well, who don't. This morning, the Lord has me meditating on Scriptures about fools and foolishness, and, beloved, I. am. NOT. amused.
We're all foolish from time to time. I think of Samson (reference Judges 16), the strong man whose one weakness cost him greatly, even though he was set apart by the Lord from birth. I think of Moses, the chosen leader whose momentary lapse of wisdom cost him permission to enter the promised land, even though he otherwise faithfully obeyed the Lord all of his life (reference Numbers 20). I think of David, whose indiscretion and subsequent cover-up created heartache and pain for himself and for others, even though he was a divinely anointed man after God's own heart (reference Acts 13:22).
Our repentance restores our relationship with God, and the Lord uses the faithful in spite of our foolishness, but precious ones, my heart is most burdened today for those who are imprudently abandoning Him altogether. "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' " (Psalm 14:1a).
Time is short, my friends. Earthly, temporal pleasures and pursuits are meaningless, even if our intentions are good and our causes are noble (reference Ecclesiastes). Our earthly focus must remain on our eternal future; there is no time for judgment lapses or journey languishes. " 'For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to Me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.' " (Proverbs 1:32-33).
" 'My people are fools,' says the Lord in Jeremiah 4:22. "They do not know Me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding.' " Jeremiah responds, "O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; You crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. I thought, 'These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, so I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.' But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds." (5:3-5). See the rest of Jeremiah, as well the other Old Testaments prophets, for the consequences of that uniform--and high-ranking--folly and indifference.
" 'At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The Bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the Bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with Him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But He replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.' " (Matthew 25:1-13).
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the Truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man ... Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts ... They exchanged the Truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--Who is forever praised. Amen. ... Although they know God's righteous decree ... they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:18-32).
"Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ... We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. ... But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise ... the weak things of the world to shame the strong ... the lowly things of this world and the despised things-- ... so that no one may boast before Him ... so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Corinthians 1:20-2:5).
"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him'—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).
Oh, beloved, praise God that we have the mind of Christ! Praise Him that we have the revelations of His Spirit! A royal eternal inheritance awaits us (reference Romans 8:17 and Galatians 3:29), but, for now, the world may see us as court jesters. That's okay with me, because as long as I live on this earth, I have opportunities to be a fool for Christ. I have opportunities--big and small, but all significant--to reach those for whom heaven and hell hang in the balance. And, to me, my beloved, that's no joke.
Precious Father, thank You for Your wisdom! Thank You for the divine inspiration and spiritual perception that you provide for those who are willing to assume it. Keep us discerning, precious God. May we always "be wise in the way [we] act toward outsiders, mak[ing] the most of every opportunity. Let [our] conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that [we] may know how to answer everyone" (reference Colossians 4:5-6). I pray in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Wisdom and Power of God (reference 1 Corinthians 1:18). Amen.
that you yourselves
are God's temple
and that God's Spirit lives in you?
... Do not deceive yourselves
If any one of you
thinks he is wise
by the standards of this age,
he should become
a 'fool' so that
he may become wise.
for the wisdom
of this world
is foolishness
in God's sight."
(1 Corinthians 3:16-19a)
will put up with a little
of my foolishness;
but you are already
doing that.
I am jealous for you
with a godly jealousy..."
(2 Corinthians 11:1-2)
For further reflection on this topic, see also ...
How can I encourage and pray for you today? Please let me know by clicking on "Sparks Share" at the end of today's reflection, and scroll down to the "Comments" box. You may choose to comment anonymously, if you prefer. Feel free to leave your praises and insights as well!
Copyright 2009. Kathryn B. Wells. All Rights Reserved.
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