Bible League: Living His Word The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,but a wise man listens to advice. What is the "way of a fool?" That is, what is it exactly that makes someone a fool? From the point of view of Proverbs, a fool is someone who despises wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). That's the reason why fools don't fear the Lord, because the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). A fool is not necessarily stupid, but someone who refuses to submit to a proper understanding of the Lord and His creation. The fact that a fool despises wisdom and instruction is also the reason why "a fool is right in his own eyes." Instead of humbly submitting to wisdom and instruction, the fool thinks that his own way is the right way. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes because pride has taken over and prevented true insight into the way things really are. A fool would rather do things the way he thinks they should be done than do them the way they should be done. What is a "wise man?" That is, what is it exactly that makes someone wise? From the point of view of Proverbs, a wise person is someone who values wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:1-6). That's the reason why the wise fear the Lord, because the fear of the Lord is the very beginning of wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7). The wise are not necessarily smart, but those who are willing to submit to a proper understanding of the Lord and His creation. The fact that a wise person values wisdom and instruction is also the reason why they "listen to advice." Instead of rejecting wisdom and instruction, a wise person values it no matter where it comes from. The wise person listens to advice because humility has made true insight into the way things really are possible. A wise person would rather do things the right way even if it means doing things the way someone else thinks they should be done. None of this means that a wise person shouldn't make a decision without advice and it doesn't mean that they should accept every bit of advice that comes their way. After all, not all advice is good advice. It does mean, however, that the acquisition of wisdom and instruction about the Lord and His creation is more important than from whence it comes. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 43, 44 Isaiah 43 -- Israel Redeemed; God's Mercy; Israel's Unfaithfulness NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 44 -- God's Blessings upon Israel; The Foolishness of Idolatry; God's Will for Jerusalem's Inhabitation NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Colossians 2 Colossians 2 -- The Fullness of God Dwells in Christ and Gives Us Freedom NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant.Insight Do you spend your life trying to please everybody? Paul had to speak harshly to the Christians in Galatia because they were in serious danger. He did not apologize for his straight-forward words, knowing that he could serve Christ faithfully if he allowed the Galatian Christians to remain on the wrong track. Challenge Whose approval are you seeking—others' or God's? Pray for the courage to seek God's approval above anyone else's. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Jude 1:24 Faultless before the presence of his glory.Revolve in your mind that wondrous word, "faultless!" We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in his work of love, we shall reach it one day. The Saviour who will keep his people to the end, will also present them at last to himself, as "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish." All the jewels in the Saviour's crown are of the first water and without a single flaw. All the maids of honor who attend the Lamb's wife are pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in his own blood until we are white and fair as God's purest angel; and we shall be clothed in his righteousness, that righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively faultless; yea, perfect in the sight of God. We shall be unblameable and unreproveable even in his eyes. His law will not only have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will--every power and passion shall be emancipated from the thraldom of evil. We shall be holy even as God is holy, and in his presence we shall dwell forever. Saints will not be out of place in heaven, their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them. Oh the rapture of that hour when the everlasting doors shall be lifted up, and we, being made meet for the inheritance, shall dwell with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past forever, and ourselves "faultless" before God, this will be heaven indeed! Let us be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise so soon to roll forth in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David's exultings before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne. Daily Light on the Daily Path Ephesians 3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,Ephesians 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him Hebrews 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Matthew 12:49,50 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! • "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." John 20:17 Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Revelation 6:9-11 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; • and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" • And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. Hebrews 11:40 because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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