Proverbs 24:7 (ISV) says: “Wisdom lies beyond reach of the fool… ” I love the bluntness of the Proverbs, don’t you?
As I’ve been reflecting on “foolishness,” I’m reminded of so many years when I thought I knew it all. Yes, I was a fool. I knew what was the right way to do things (just ask me); I knew how things should be run around the house (just ask my husband); and I certainly knew how our son should be acting around his peers and elders (actually I still know that, so no need to ask him – ha!).
As for God? Well, sure I knew He was there – He was living up in the clouds somewhere in the place called heaven.
Proverbs 12:15 (NLT): “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” I was always sure I was right. I knew how people should be behaving – even if I didn’t always behave the way I felt others should. And if someone tried to nail me on my attitude? Shame on them!
I think it’s really true that a man/woman cannot live without worshiping some sort of god. The question is: Which god do they worship? If a person doesn’t worship the true God, he worships a false one – which probably is a reflection of his or her own self. You decide what is truth and what is sin, and what standard of living is correct. You might even bow down in front of a statue or picture and pray to it.
Proverbs 14:9 (GNT): “Foolish people don’t care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.” Since a fool worships his own god, he also makes his own rules. He works to justify his personal behavior so that he feels good at the end of the day.
I certainly did this years ago when I was working at a law firm. I would weasel my way onto someone’s good side if it suited me, but wouldn’t hesitate to throw them under the bus if that person started to really get on my nerves. It didn’t matter that I crushed their feelings – as long as my own ego didn’t get hurt too badly.
But here’s the thing. Even though I was destined for hell (let’s face it – I was), God pursued me. There were people praying for me that I had no idea about. And I probably would have mocked them if they’d told me so. They were praying for my soul.
I know one of them was my husband who told me after we’d been together for a couple years that he was a born-again Christian who needed to get back right with God. I’d hear him in our bedroom with the door closed praying and reading his Bible. I used to get mad at him for destroying what I perceived was my comfortable perfect little life.
Another person I know of was my sister who surrendered to Jesus before I did. Despite me treating her so badly when we were younger, once her heart was linked to the Savior, she wanted me to experience His love and acceptance, as well.
I also think back to when I worked at that same law firm mentioned above. Because during those years there was a Christian gal who worked there who gave me a Bible one day. It embarrassed me at the time, but I took it home and stuck it away on a shelf. I know she prayed for me, because she told me so.
You know, there are people praying for you too – people you probably have no clue about. Why? Because people who know Jesus have a genuine love for others, and, like Jesus, they don’t want others going down into eternal punishment where I was destined for the first 30+ years of my life.
So rejoice today! And pray for your neighbors and friends who have yet to come to know Him. Never give up hope. As I look back on the old foolish me, I realize fresh and new that our God truly is the God of All Comfort. Thank You, Lord!
The God Of All Comfort 