Tag: Foolish

Biblical Tips To Overcome Foolishness

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Adoration, Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Awesome God, Beyond Description, Blessing, Celebrate God, Needs, Praise, Praise-worthy, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED: Thursday, December 7, 2023, and I was blessed to be at Florida Hunting Adventures, Okeechobee, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Living Bible (TLB) IS FOUND IN Proverbs 20:1; 3-4;

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: Wine gives false courage; hard liquor leads to brawls; what fools men are to let it master them, making them reel drunkenly down the street!
It is an honor for a man to stay out of a fight. Only fools insist on quarreling.
If you won’t plow in the cold, you won’t eat at the harvest.

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: It is so easy to look at someone, hear their foolish talks and see their foolish actions, and call them a fool. But do we stop to think about how others look at us? Without having to go through a lot of research as to the validity of our Bible text today, I believe we all can agree that our Designer and Creator must know everything about His created ones and what it is that might cause us to look foolish to others. The Bible teaches that God saw His servant Solomon as the wisest man on earth. God used this wise man to share wise nuggets with us about how we might appear wise and live like the created one God designed. So, let’s look at our Scripture, knowing that it is authentic and, because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit to godly men. Let’s satisfy our minds that this is sound advice for all now living, and all who will come after us. I find it interesting how some will turn to horoscopes, palm-readers or others with supposed ‘magical’ powers, and they will follow their advice closely. Yet when the God of this universe, and especially as Creator of you and I, makes the information included in today’s Scripture available to us, so that we might be warned of the dangers we might encounter, we tend to be hesitant in our obedience, and lacking in our attention to such caring and critical advice. Friends, although the advice seems clear, let’s look intently at what God is saying to us through these three verses:
-*- The danger of drunkenness – I believe that every family is affected in some way today by alcoholism, so I’m sure that we can all identify with the dangers of this dreaded disease. Although self-imposed, it is something that mankind has entered into in spite of the warnings given by our Maker. Pop into any restaurant that also serves alcohol and you will see patrons playing around with something that could cause them a lifetime of damage to their health, family, job, and/or friends. I’ve personally seen the unfortunate progression, where relatives started with casual drinks with co-workers and at business socials. This grew into doing the same at home. This deteriorated into losing jobs due to daytime drinking and careless/foolish behavior. Then it resulted in life-threatening organ diseases, and finally to death. those who are guilty may be saying just like these loved ones assured their relatives did – “don’t worry I have this under control”. But friends, no matter how much relatives may try to preach at you about your use and abuse of alcohol and/or drugs, God said through His servant Solomon that this nasty and dangerous habit would lead to false courage; brawls; foolish behavior; and something that makes you stagger down the street aimlessly, recklessly, unawares, and without purpose. Why not listen to God, my friend, and deal with life soberly while imitating the teachings of the One who made you?
-*- Fighting and Quarreling – In verse 3, God teaches us the value of being honored by your fellow man. Although many might say that they don’t like attention being given to them, especially in public, I believe deep down inside of us, we all long for others to see our value here on earth, no matter how insignificant we may feel it is! Solomon wants us to know that quarreling with each other and always being ready to oppose someone on something they say or believe, is a prime suspect for showing how foolish we are. Oh that we might think of that whenever we are tempted to challenge someone on something we may have a slightly different rendition on.
-*- Reaping what you sew – At first glance, Solomon appears to refer to harvesting food in the 4th verse. However, this could apply to many different things in life. If you want a good life, then be willing to obey your Creator and the teachings He left in His Book for you. If you want good children, then be willing to sacrifice and take the time to teach them the best qualities in life by what you say, and especially in what you do. If you want a good harvest in vegetable, fruit, cattle or grain, then be willing to spend the necessary time to cultivate, fertilize, irrigate and protect the farm. Try to remember throughout your lifetime – you will reap what you sew in life.

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, I have many more fingers pointing back at me than I could ever point at others, so please help me to always be mindful of everything I have challenged my readers and listeners with, in this devotional. Experience has shown that there is such joy in helping others. Please help each of us to follow Your example in helping others, encouraging others, and showing them Jesus in everything we say and do, so that You may be glorified through us. Please soften the hearts of my audience so that together we will not only listen to Your Word and learn about Your ways, but that we may demonstrate it as living examples of Yours here on earth. Please continue to draw the lost/unsaved unto Yourself today, and if this devotional could help in any way, I ask that You multiply its impact. Lord, I praise You for who You are, and for everything You do to guide us aright. Be glorified in us today, I ask. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!

Foolish, Ignorant, Senseless?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Answered Prayer, Appreciation, Needs, Praise, Recognize God, WorshipLeave a comment

DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-04-25
WRITTEN AT: Citra, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: Psalm 73:21-26
TRANSLATION: New Living Translation (NLT)

BIBLE TEXT: 21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant — I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. 23 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

APPLICATION: I believe that throughout our lifetime, and yes, even since our salvation experience, there may have been times when we may have attempted to hide our faces from the Creator, because we came to ourselves and realized that our immaturity and selfishness had caused us to think and act irrationally and perhaps even foolish. Recently I was reminded in a sermon that this is actually the Holy Spirit at work within us, for God said that He would send the Holy Spirit to live inside the Believer in Christ, to be our helper. Boy, do we ever need help every day of our lives! For as long as we live in this world, we are subject to the evil forces around us, as Satan continues to try and trip us up. What then shall we do, you might ask. I believe that God placed this Scripture before us today to show us that just how He worked on Asaph, and melted his stubborn, selfish and hardened heart, He will continue to work inside of us. Nowhere in Scripture will you find that God sent Asaph to telltale on those around him. It was not his job to get them straight, or to correct their ways. Is this starting to help you understand that you needn’t worry about those who persecute you, or tempt you, or try to distract your righteous walk? You see, just like Asaph, we have a heavenly home that awaits us! And if we spend more time praising God for His goodness, and celebrating all that He has done for us, don’t you know that the unbeliever watching might finally get the picture that God has made a difference in our lives? It’s not like God to snap back at the enemy and continually fight them, so when the enemy experiences that behavior from us, they will likely challenge us for claiming to be a child of God, but yet acting like the world. In a right relationship with God, His Holy Spirit will cause us to follow the practice taught by firefighters: stop, drop and roll! For we are not doing the will of the Father, and we need to backup and allow Him to do His work – not our wishes for revenge. After being alerted to his foolish, ignorant and senseless feelings and actions, Asaph came to his senses and acknowledged the goodness of his Father in heaven. My prayer is that God the Holy Spirit will always get my attention and cause me to stop my evil thoughts from ever leaving my mouth, but instead use my mouth to glorify my God in all things – even for those that come my way to test me, tempt me, and make every effort to disrupt my walk towards the Savior. Remembering that God the Holy Spirit lives inside of me, I pray that I will never think, do or say anything that dishonors Him in any way. Please allow me to encourage you to do the same, if you know Jesus as Lord. If you are yet to make that important decision to give God control of your life, then allow me to suggest that you do that today. It’s the only time promised to us!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: What have I in heaven but You oh Lord! No matter what may fail me here on earth, my God stands firm, and He is mine forever!

PRAYER: Thank You Lord Jesus for reaching down and changing the bitter heart of Asaph. As my Lord and Savior, I too am thankful that You have made the Holy Spirit available to me as my strength, my guide and my everlasting hope. Please continue to work in the lives of Your children who will read this devotional seeking encouragement and hope from the only One who can mend a broken heart, guide a misdirected wanderer and encourage one feeling forsaken in a world totally engrossed in greed and selfish pride. May we all be found faithful as we look to the One who sacrificed everything for our good. Soften the hearts of the unsaved and draw them unto Yourself dear Lord. May Your children, especially me, be especially careful to extend Your love and Your righteousness to all that we come into contact with. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!