Tag: foolish

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Wise or Foolish?

The wise and the foolish

Matthew 7We are often advised about our life and the decisions we make and this chapter reminds us that what we hear we must be discerning. Some advice is pure and worthy to be heeded and other advice we should discard. We need wisdom about many things and Jesus taught as one with authority, therefore we should heed and obey His advice.  As he ended his teaching he said: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” [Matt 7:24]

We have been gifted with the Word of the Lord and it behooves us to listen and do what He says. The challenge before us is do we want to be wise or foolish? That seems rather simple, but the proof is in our words and deeds. Is our “house” built on the “ROCK’ which is Jesus and His teaching or on the words of men? 

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The Cost of Pride and Arrogance

1 Kings 12 to14: Listen up! Wisdom is found in the aged who have been tested and proven true, just as we test a garment or a tool. The recent destruction of the submersible seems like our story today in 1 Kings 12. A wise king raises a fool; others pay the price for our pride and arrogance. 

Solomon’s son Rehoboam sought wise counsel about how to lead the nation after his father’s passing but rejected the wisdom of the elders and listened to his young advisors.  Job remarks: “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” [Job 12:12] Rehoboam, much like King Saul, did not follow Job’s advice and rejected older, more mature, and wiser people. How often do we think we know better when our older mature gray heads tell us nay or yea?

Rehoboam failed because God had prophesied to Solomon of the nation’s division because he had not wholly followed the Lord. The result was a divided kingdom, wars, and rumors of wars. All because of men’s pride and arrogance.

Paul wisely offers us this counsel: Everything was written in former times for our instruction. [Rom 15:4] May we learn from Rehoboam what “not to do and what to do?”

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