Christmas. I am amazed to find out, even in my own generation of how many people do not know the true meaning of Christmas. It is even more frightening because their children do not know about Christmas - and if there is no one to past this knowledge about Christ in Christmas to further generations I can't imagine what kind of world this place will become yet alone what will happen to everyone one of those precious souls.
When I hear children say Christmas is only about presents and Santa Claus and don't even know who Jesus Christ is - my soul aches - there is a problem.
Many may think I am crazy for saying such things but why celebrate Christmas at all if it has nothing to do with "Christ" in Christmas but Santa instead. Why celebrate Easter when it has nothing to do with the Resurrection of Christ but the Easter bunny and candy instead.
Yes the Easter bunny and Santa Claus are fun but people need to be educated about what both of these Christian Holidays "REALLY" mean.
Hopefully many (young and old) in the faith of Christianity will feel the urging of the the Holy Spirit and step forward and speak and share the true meaning of Christ with others. You could open your bible and read the Christmas story to your friends and family this Christmas Season... If your friends and family have a problem with it and ask you why you read them the Christmas story tell them, "Why not? It's Christmas."
Christmas is to be celebrated but if we don't celebrate the true meaning of Christmas then the true meaning of Christmas is just another man made "holiday". It has nothing to do with Christ but everything to do with the desires of humanity and when the desires of humanity come before God and Christ there is a problem. When people get crushed and stampeded and unborn babies get killed because the rush for material possessions - there is a problem. Where is the true message of Christmas in that? Human life is always suppose to mean more then material possessions and lustful desires.
The Christ in Christmas came to save lives not so people could be killed while shopping for their loved ones. There is a life saving message in the Christmas story - the story of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and why he came. He is the TRUE gift and meaning Christmas to EVERYONE. Selfish ambition drove those people to stamped those two people. Christ wasn't about selfish ambition or what "I" did or "I" could afford or "I" got. Christ was about giving his life for us. He was and still is about loving, teaching, healing and saving unselfishly and relentlessly.
Christ does not deem any unworthy but accepts anyone who wants to accept him. Remember the criminal who feared God and was on a cross beside Jesus? The one who said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:40-43
We have all broken God's laws that lead to death but Jesus came so the law could be fulfilled and we could be saved and have a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
Real peace on earth and Good News to everyone is knowing and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is being filled with the Holy Spirit that Jesus sends to guide and counsel or comfort us.
Hopefully this Thanksgiving was a great start of being thankful for all that God does for you in your life and the "Christ" in Christmas will continue to remind you how much God loves us and he (Jesus) loves us.
The Birth of Jesus
Luke 2:5-15 "He took with him Mary, his fiancee, who was obviously pregnant by this time. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn."
"That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior- yes, the Messiah, the Lord- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!"
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors."
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see, this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
How much Jesus loves us.
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there will be one flock with one shepherd. The Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may have it back again. No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again. For my Father has given me this command."
John 10:27 My sheep recognize my voice, I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me. The Father and I are one."
Jesus is the peace and Good News for everyone.
The accounts of Jesus birth are recorded in Matthew 1:18 and Luke 2. May they come fresh to you as you read them this Christmas.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Some People Make Cutting Remarks, But The Words of the Wise Bring Healing.
As I was reading this morning I came upon a sentence that read, “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.” Proverbs 12:18
We are not always wise and use wisdom. We know what is right and wrong but sometimes we don’t use wisdom to guide us to the right choice. Sometimes we don’t always listen and obey what the Spirit of God tells us.
Our own flesh seems to battle within us at times with our soul and what the Spirit of God is telling us.
As long as we are living in these bodies we are going to have battles taking place within us. We are human and as humans we have to make choices- choices of right and wrong, love and hate, faithfulness and unfaithfulness and so on but in order to make the right choices and recover from the bad choices we need Christ. Even the choices that seem pretty easy, we need God’s guidance and grace on helping us to come to the right decision. Have you ever made a choice, which you thought was a pretty easy decision to find that you got yourself in a whole lot of trouble afterward?
God is the only one who knows what is in store for tomorrow and even in next few minutes.
We need to lean heavily on Christ – sometimes more heavily then other times.
I have learned that no matter what- there won’t be a single person in this world that fully understands you but God does. There will be times even when your spouse or best "human" friend doesn’t understand you but God will.
Proverbs 14:10 “Each hearts knows its own bitterness, and no one can fully share its joy.”
Does God get disappointed when you make a wrong choice? Is a parent disappointed when their child makes a bad choice? I am sure God is disappointed but unlike a human parent, God knew of your bad choice before you even made it. And like a great parent who loves his/her children, God always has some consequence for the wrong or poor choice made by the child.
And not all consequences need to be negative because just as there are negative consequences for poor and bad choices there are positive consequences for good and loving choices as well.
“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.”
Many times we have Godly knowledge but we miss use it and we use God’s words improperly on people and it can cut them like a knife if not done in love and directed by the Holy Spirit. It can do more damage then good. It’s like you having God’s surgical tools but doing the surgery without God’s help. The Holy Spirit directs you to true wisdom.
God is the surgeon, not us. God knows exactly what the person is going through. God has walked beside that person through their life and in trial after trial. He has spoken to them in some form or fashion everyday of their life. He has heard their prayers and knows what is inside that person’s heart not you or I.
Sometimes God is doing some great work in a person’s life and it only takes one person to come along with a log in their eye and tip-over, knockdown, smash what God is doing in their life -at that moment. Instead of encouraging them, they knock them down again.
That person maybe just getting back off the ground when someone, decides it would be a fine time to find their foot in mouth. And a result will push that poor soul back to the floor again with their words. That pour soul has already been wresting with their own pride and/or understanding – they don’t need you or I to add the weight of our words to their load or struggle. I don’t know about you but when I am struggling and someone knows and sees me struggling and says something right off the top of their head without guidance from God.” It can be like a knife or a fist to the gut.
And what always seems to make situation worse is when people seem to think, sense the words they speak come from the word of God, then they are being helpful in their “so-called righteous way” but they forget God’s word is knife.
Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.”
Are we God? Did God appoint or tell you or I to use those words or was it us in our little minds trying to be tricky, skillful and clever? Were they said “in love” or to make “our point” or to get “our point across”? God is the heart surgeon not us and when we try to act like the heart surgeon on someone -we are only making a bigger mess.
You would never take the surgical tools out of the surgeon’s hand as he is doing open-heart surgery… So why do that with God’s words? The surgeon knows what is wrong with the heart and knows what needs mending but we are no surgeon and certainly not God.
God’s words in the wrong hands and in the wrong state of mind can be very destructive. Just plain words in themselves can be heavy enough and hurtful enough but add God’s words and they can be destructive if not guided and directed by God. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. I don’t know one person where words haven’t hurt them in their lifetime.
Jesus said in Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.”
God gives us appointed times to share and speak a word. The Holy Spirit needs to direct our words or else our words will have the same or worse affect on those who already oppress them.
Not saying we should sugar coat the truth. The truth doesn’t need to be sugar coated because it is already sweet for those who need to hear it but we need to make sure we are in the right Spirit before we speak it. Are we speaking it in fruits of Spirit or from some human understanding? Are you speaking in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control or the ways of the world? Galatians 5:22
Sometimes we perceive things that aren’t actually fact but because we perceive things as “fact” we assume they are true. Assumption is not true knowledge or wisdom. It is based on partial visual perceptions, partial heard words, partial heard gossip, previous experiences, previous hurts, pride and fear and is very often passed around as fact. Assumption can be based on hostility, jealousy, selfish ambition, divisions, envy and so on.
“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
Remember God is the only one who truly knows what is going on inside the heart and head of individual. And if God gave you some insight on someone, don’t open your mouth unless God has told you to talk to him or her. Sometimes God allows us a piece of insight so we may pray for that person or situation -not talk to that person about that situation.
God always prepares the person you are to talk to before you talk to them. I personally cannot think of a time when God hasn’t prepared a way for someone to speak to me in the past and I would say that “most” of the time I have received him or her well. Their words or comments haven’t just come out of left field … I had either asked God to intervene, help or for encouragement. On the same note, there have been times God had “already” been talking to me about some circumstances in my life that I had been failing to address and/or correct.
The truth is not always easy to hear but the usually truth has already been forwarded to you in several different ways by God before he had to resort to human lips.
There have been times in my life where God had told me in some form or fashion to address a situation in my life but I chose to ignore it. You can’t ignore God and claim to be his child. You will either address the situation with God privately or he will have to resort to go publicly. (Think of Jonah and David) God loves his children. If he didn’t love his children he wouldn’t have to discipline them.
I would like to say that all the people God sends speak in love not judgment but God sends his prophets to speak his judgments upon the people too.
If God sends someone to you in love – feel privileged. Often God uses people who have fallen into the same or similar traps or situations you have found yourself in. Their message is meaningful and powerful and often helps you come to repentance, healing and encouragement in the Lord.
When people come and speak scripture and spiritual truths, it needs to be backed up with power of the Holy Spirit (fruits of the Spirit)–which gives full assurance of what said is true. A great example of this is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 when the disciples talked about sharing the Good News with the church of Thessalonica. Their testimony and words were powerful because the Holy Spirit directed and guided the words and actions of Paul, Silas and Timothy.
Cutting remarks that leave you wounded “again” -after you have already been made of aware of you failures by the Holy Spirit and understanding are not of God. They are usually spout out without warning and little care.
“The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives,” Proverbs 12:6
Sometimes our own brothers and sisters in Christ can have the same affect on us. You know how that is? You are just beginning to heal, you are still tender and someone unexpectedly points out your failure again instead of letting it go. What they say is like a murderous ambush and all you can do is quietly bleed from their words and then go home. Assumption can do the same thing.
I believe we all should be humble and need to be humbled from time to time in our lives but God needs to be one to do that, not a sibling in Christ. God is the best one to humble a person because his humbling is perfect and exactly the measure needed to bring one to repentance and growing in maturity in Christ.
Sure it hurts when a brother or sisters says something but we must forgive them (even when they are off base) and in the end will be in a better state of mind for doing so. Thank God he understands. Thank God he brings wisdom. Thank God he brings others who bring words of healing.
- First, I thought of those who made cutting remarks towards me in the past.
- Second, I thought how thankful I am for those who listened to God and brought words of healing when I needed it.
- Third, I thought of times when I have said cutting remarks to others
- Fourth, I thought of the times when I brought words of healing to others.
We are not always wise and use wisdom. We know what is right and wrong but sometimes we don’t use wisdom to guide us to the right choice. Sometimes we don’t always listen and obey what the Spirit of God tells us.
Our own flesh seems to battle within us at times with our soul and what the Spirit of God is telling us.
As long as we are living in these bodies we are going to have battles taking place within us. We are human and as humans we have to make choices- choices of right and wrong, love and hate, faithfulness and unfaithfulness and so on but in order to make the right choices and recover from the bad choices we need Christ. Even the choices that seem pretty easy, we need God’s guidance and grace on helping us to come to the right decision. Have you ever made a choice, which you thought was a pretty easy decision to find that you got yourself in a whole lot of trouble afterward?
God is the only one who knows what is in store for tomorrow and even in next few minutes.
We need to lean heavily on Christ – sometimes more heavily then other times.
I have learned that no matter what- there won’t be a single person in this world that fully understands you but God does. There will be times even when your spouse or best "human" friend doesn’t understand you but God will.
Proverbs 14:10 “Each hearts knows its own bitterness, and no one can fully share its joy.”
Does God get disappointed when you make a wrong choice? Is a parent disappointed when their child makes a bad choice? I am sure God is disappointed but unlike a human parent, God knew of your bad choice before you even made it. And like a great parent who loves his/her children, God always has some consequence for the wrong or poor choice made by the child.
And not all consequences need to be negative because just as there are negative consequences for poor and bad choices there are positive consequences for good and loving choices as well.
“Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.”
Many times we have Godly knowledge but we miss use it and we use God’s words improperly on people and it can cut them like a knife if not done in love and directed by the Holy Spirit. It can do more damage then good. It’s like you having God’s surgical tools but doing the surgery without God’s help. The Holy Spirit directs you to true wisdom.
God is the surgeon, not us. God knows exactly what the person is going through. God has walked beside that person through their life and in trial after trial. He has spoken to them in some form or fashion everyday of their life. He has heard their prayers and knows what is inside that person’s heart not you or I.
Sometimes God is doing some great work in a person’s life and it only takes one person to come along with a log in their eye and tip-over, knockdown, smash what God is doing in their life -at that moment. Instead of encouraging them, they knock them down again.
That person maybe just getting back off the ground when someone, decides it would be a fine time to find their foot in mouth. And a result will push that poor soul back to the floor again with their words. That pour soul has already been wresting with their own pride and/or understanding – they don’t need you or I to add the weight of our words to their load or struggle. I don’t know about you but when I am struggling and someone knows and sees me struggling and says something right off the top of their head without guidance from God.” It can be like a knife or a fist to the gut.
And what always seems to make situation worse is when people seem to think, sense the words they speak come from the word of God, then they are being helpful in their “so-called righteous way” but they forget God’s word is knife.
Hebrews 4:12-13 For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.”
Are we God? Did God appoint or tell you or I to use those words or was it us in our little minds trying to be tricky, skillful and clever? Were they said “in love” or to make “our point” or to get “our point across”? God is the heart surgeon not us and when we try to act like the heart surgeon on someone -we are only making a bigger mess.
You would never take the surgical tools out of the surgeon’s hand as he is doing open-heart surgery… So why do that with God’s words? The surgeon knows what is wrong with the heart and knows what needs mending but we are no surgeon and certainly not God.
God’s words in the wrong hands and in the wrong state of mind can be very destructive. Just plain words in themselves can be heavy enough and hurtful enough but add God’s words and they can be destructive if not guided and directed by God. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. I don’t know one person where words haven’t hurt them in their lifetime.
Jesus said in Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.”
God gives us appointed times to share and speak a word. The Holy Spirit needs to direct our words or else our words will have the same or worse affect on those who already oppress them.
Not saying we should sugar coat the truth. The truth doesn’t need to be sugar coated because it is already sweet for those who need to hear it but we need to make sure we are in the right Spirit before we speak it. Are we speaking it in fruits of Spirit or from some human understanding? Are you speaking in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control or the ways of the world? Galatians 5:22
Sometimes we perceive things that aren’t actually fact but because we perceive things as “fact” we assume they are true. Assumption is not true knowledge or wisdom. It is based on partial visual perceptions, partial heard words, partial heard gossip, previous experiences, previous hurts, pride and fear and is very often passed around as fact. Assumption can be based on hostility, jealousy, selfish ambition, divisions, envy and so on.
“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
Remember God is the only one who truly knows what is going on inside the heart and head of individual. And if God gave you some insight on someone, don’t open your mouth unless God has told you to talk to him or her. Sometimes God allows us a piece of insight so we may pray for that person or situation -not talk to that person about that situation.
God always prepares the person you are to talk to before you talk to them. I personally cannot think of a time when God hasn’t prepared a way for someone to speak to me in the past and I would say that “most” of the time I have received him or her well. Their words or comments haven’t just come out of left field … I had either asked God to intervene, help or for encouragement. On the same note, there have been times God had “already” been talking to me about some circumstances in my life that I had been failing to address and/or correct.
The truth is not always easy to hear but the usually truth has already been forwarded to you in several different ways by God before he had to resort to human lips.
There have been times in my life where God had told me in some form or fashion to address a situation in my life but I chose to ignore it. You can’t ignore God and claim to be his child. You will either address the situation with God privately or he will have to resort to go publicly. (Think of Jonah and David) God loves his children. If he didn’t love his children he wouldn’t have to discipline them.
I would like to say that all the people God sends speak in love not judgment but God sends his prophets to speak his judgments upon the people too.
If God sends someone to you in love – feel privileged. Often God uses people who have fallen into the same or similar traps or situations you have found yourself in. Their message is meaningful and powerful and often helps you come to repentance, healing and encouragement in the Lord.
When people come and speak scripture and spiritual truths, it needs to be backed up with power of the Holy Spirit (fruits of the Spirit)–which gives full assurance of what said is true. A great example of this is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 when the disciples talked about sharing the Good News with the church of Thessalonica. Their testimony and words were powerful because the Holy Spirit directed and guided the words and actions of Paul, Silas and Timothy.
Cutting remarks that leave you wounded “again” -after you have already been made of aware of you failures by the Holy Spirit and understanding are not of God. They are usually spout out without warning and little care.
“The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives,” Proverbs 12:6
Sometimes our own brothers and sisters in Christ can have the same affect on us. You know how that is? You are just beginning to heal, you are still tender and someone unexpectedly points out your failure again instead of letting it go. What they say is like a murderous ambush and all you can do is quietly bleed from their words and then go home. Assumption can do the same thing.
I believe we all should be humble and need to be humbled from time to time in our lives but God needs to be one to do that, not a sibling in Christ. God is the best one to humble a person because his humbling is perfect and exactly the measure needed to bring one to repentance and growing in maturity in Christ.
Sure it hurts when a brother or sisters says something but we must forgive them (even when they are off base) and in the end will be in a better state of mind for doing so. Thank God he understands. Thank God he brings wisdom. Thank God he brings others who bring words of healing.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Wisdom and Knowledge
For some reason I had always assumed that knowledge and wisdom were the same but as I grow and the Lord continues to show me things I see that they are different and can be as opposite as right and wrong and hot and cold.
Knowledge is the sum of what is known. Known is to be intimately familiar with; to discern, recognize, regard, acknowledge, to pay heed to, to approve and learn. Knowledge is what we know.
Wisdom however is to discern what is right from wrong. Discernment can not be made correctly and fully without God's help and guidance.
The book of Job is a good illustration of this principle. Job’s buddies accused Job of sinning against God because of their knowledge of what happens to wicked people and what was happening to Job. What was happening to Job looked the same as signs and consequences that follow after someone who has sinned against God but Job had not sinned against the God. The signs and consequences were the same as if he had sinned against God but their presumptions were wrong even though they used knowledge. Had they sought God for wisdom in this matter things probably would had been different at the end of the written account.
Proverb 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do no depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.”
In the end Job was honored by God, God gave Job more children, restored his health and gave him twice the fortune as he had before and his friends ended up looking like the fools and arrogant ones.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 "Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an ounce of foolishness can out weigh a pound of wisdom and honor. The hearts of the wise lead them to do right, and the hearts of the foolish lead them to do evil."
Do not assume something of someone based on your understanding and how something may look to you. Your understanding may not be the truth.
Proverbs 3:13-20 “Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. For the profit of wisdom is better then silver and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. By wisdom the LORD founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the deep fountains of earth burst forth, and clouds poured down rain.”
We need to base our decisions on wisdom and not just on knowledge alone.
In this time and age people have lots of knowledge and that knowledge is taken as wisdom but it is not. Some people believe just because they see and hear it on television then it is true. Just because the man who plays Superman on TV fly's, doesn't mean he fly's in real life.
Recently a news report said that a child at my wife's school had been abducted from the school but the fact was she was abducted at her home not the school where she attends. Thank God she was found by use of an Amber Alert and no harm had came upon her.
True discernment and wisdom come from God. God word says in James chapter 1:5 "If you need wisdom- if you want to know what God wants you to do- ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do."
If we don't trust God and we are doubtful at him working in our life - how can we expect to gain and receive anything from God?
The sad thing is there are many people who trust in people more then God. They trust in politicians and doctors and even the weatherman more then God. They believe these individuals are the final word and if those poor souls believe such things then are in dire straits.
Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those whose who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, on the salty flats where no one lives. But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit."
Knowledge is the sum of what is known. Known is to be intimately familiar with; to discern, recognize, regard, acknowledge, to pay heed to, to approve and learn. Knowledge is what we know.
Wisdom however is to discern what is right from wrong. Discernment can not be made correctly and fully without God's help and guidance.
The book of Job is a good illustration of this principle. Job’s buddies accused Job of sinning against God because of their knowledge of what happens to wicked people and what was happening to Job. What was happening to Job looked the same as signs and consequences that follow after someone who has sinned against God but Job had not sinned against the God. The signs and consequences were the same as if he had sinned against God but their presumptions were wrong even though they used knowledge. Had they sought God for wisdom in this matter things probably would had been different at the end of the written account.
Proverb 3:5 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do no depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.”
In the end Job was honored by God, God gave Job more children, restored his health and gave him twice the fortune as he had before and his friends ended up looking like the fools and arrogant ones.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 "Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an ounce of foolishness can out weigh a pound of wisdom and honor. The hearts of the wise lead them to do right, and the hearts of the foolish lead them to do evil."
Do not assume something of someone based on your understanding and how something may look to you. Your understanding may not be the truth.
Proverbs 3:13-20 “Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding. For the profit of wisdom is better then silver and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. By wisdom the LORD founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the deep fountains of earth burst forth, and clouds poured down rain.”
We need to base our decisions on wisdom and not just on knowledge alone.
In this time and age people have lots of knowledge and that knowledge is taken as wisdom but it is not. Some people believe just because they see and hear it on television then it is true. Just because the man who plays Superman on TV fly's, doesn't mean he fly's in real life.
Recently a news report said that a child at my wife's school had been abducted from the school but the fact was she was abducted at her home not the school where she attends. Thank God she was found by use of an Amber Alert and no harm had came upon her.
True discernment and wisdom come from God. God word says in James chapter 1:5 "If you need wisdom- if you want to know what God wants you to do- ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do."
If we don't trust God and we are doubtful at him working in our life - how can we expect to gain and receive anything from God?
The sad thing is there are many people who trust in people more then God. They trust in politicians and doctors and even the weatherman more then God. They believe these individuals are the final word and if those poor souls believe such things then are in dire straits.
Jeremiah 17:5 "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed are those whose who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, on the salty flats where no one lives. But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit."
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