BBD 10.08.03 The Fool's Way
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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10.08.03
The Fool's Way
For he sees wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
and leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses
will last forever, their dwelling places to all generations; they call their
lands after their own names. - Psalm 49:10-11.
On September 1st in Denver, a man told friends that he had been planning to
jump from a moving car. He was not planning to commit suicide but wanted to
feel some pain so that he would have the courage to have a tattoo. The
20-year-old during rush hour jumped from a car moving at about 40 mph and he
was killed as a result. Another foolish and dangerous stunt was done by a
teenage boy in Missouri. For some reason he felt like he needed to
demonstrate his pain tolerance and he did this by hitting himself in the
head with a skateboard. He then invited a friend to hit him in the head too,
which resulted in his being knocked out with one blow, and sadly, he died
just a few days later.
What is it that makes a person a fool? Is it the doing of what every sane
person knows a person should not do? Is it the saying or writing of words
every sane person knows a person should not say or write? Why do they do
such things? For young people it is easy to say that they feel invulnerable
and that they have a sense because of their youth that they will live
forever. For those older as the Psalmist indicates some even in the face of
much evidence to the contrary believe they will never face death.
Ultimately, whether young or old it is the belief that they will never have
to face any consequences for their actions. This belief comes from a lack of
a fear of God.
The Book of Proverbs, which contains so much wisdom in the first chapter,
says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7)." The lack of knowledge and wisdom,
which results in foolish actions come from a person's contempt for wisdom
and instruction and ultimately contempt for the Lord.
How do you avoid being and acting like a fool? The Bible is very clear about
this in many passages of Scripture. In Proverbs 9:10 for example we are
told, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of
the Holy One is understanding." To be wise and act with wisdom it is
necessary to have a respect and reverence for God. King Solomon indicates
that this is the beginning of all wisdom.
Are you a fool? Most of us have been fools at one time or another to some
extent. We can avoid foolishness by having true respect and reverence for
God and in doing so we will begin walking on the path of wisdom, knowledge,
and understanding.
Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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