A Proverb, a Question, and a Song

 

He who trusts confidently in his own heart
is a dull, thickheaded fool,
but he who walks in skillful and godly wisdom
will be rescued.

Proverbs 28:26 (AMP)

Sure, there are plenty of people who don't like being told what to do or where to go. Still, all you have to do to be convinced that most folks are clueless when it comes to matters of eternity is to listen to the variety of responses to the Colbert Questionert question, "What happens when we die?"

Or watch all the scenes in all the movies when a fresh-faced youngster looks into the eyes of the Adult In Charge and asks the same question.

Or take your own poll. How much hemming and hawing do you run into?

It really is true that, even on our best days, we're at least goofy and probably closer to ridiculous.

For long-time readers, it will come as no surprise that today's Scripture and this train of thought remind me of a song by Rich Mullins, "Maker of Noses."

I believe there is a place
Where people live in perfect peace
Where there is food on every plate
Where work is rewarded and rest is sweet
Where the color of your skin
Won't get you in or keep you out
Where justice reigns and truth finally wins
Its hard fought war against fear and doubt

And everyone I know wants to go there too
But when I ask them how to do it they seem so confused
Do I turn to the left?
Do I turn to the right?
When I turn to the world they gave me this advice

They said boy you just follow your heart
But my heart just led me into my chest
They said follow your nose
But the direction changed every time I went and turned my head
And they said boy you just follow your dreams
But my dreams were only misty notions
But the Father of hearts and the Maker of noses
And the Giver of dreams He's the one I have chosen
And I will follow Him
©1992 Kid Brothers of St. Frank Publishing & Edward Grant, Inc.

https://youtu.be/hdspZ8Dexv0?si=hErLYzJFLmTbMDV1

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Truth is... Obi-Wan Kenobi aptly wraps things up with his piercing question in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope...

Who's the more foolish?
The fool, or the fool who follows him? 

A Dollar in the Slot, Joy in the Heart

 

[The lazy man] is greedy to get,
while the godly love to give!

Proverbs 21:26 (TLB)

A few years ago, one of our regulars at my part‑time retail gig was all fired up about a trip to Las Vegas. Wanting to join in the fun, I gave him a dollar and said, “Play this on something for me.”

It may come as no surprise to you that when he returned, he reported my dollar had not garnered any winnings.

Fast forward to last month, when I told him I was going to Vegas to treat Beloved to Donny Osmond's show. He, of course, broke into a smile as he hopefully handed me a dollar.

Not having any gambling experience other than trying to get through an intersection while the light was still yellow, I wasn't really sure what to do with that dollar bill. But as I walked by the casino floor, I saw a colorful machine that had a slot in it especially made for inserting legal tender.

I placed the narrow edge of the donated dollar into the slot. The machine sucked the bill into its inner sanctum. A button labelled "SPIN" lit up, so I pushed it. Icons on the LED screen spun, the machine made a pleasant dinging sound, and that one dollar turned into twenty.

I am going to have So Much Fun when I see that customer again and hand him his twenty-dollar bill!

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Truth is...I'm not saying my customer is necessarily greedy, nor that I am so all-fire godly, but I am saying that one of the most God-like (i.e., "godly") things a person can do is to be a giver.

I can also testify that giving results in getting joy. Jesus wasn't joking when he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35 NIV)

From Disappointment to Delight: A Holy Spirit Story

 

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

John 14:26 (AMP)

Not long after moving to Minnesota to become the Youth and Worship Minister at a church in the suburbs south of the Twin Cities, we were part of a group from that church who bought tickets to a performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond.

My Beloved was especially looking forward to seeing her former teen-crush-heartthrob perform and was especially disappointed to hear the announcement that Donny would not be seen in the role of Joseph that night, but that his understudy would be performing instead.

Then the show started and the abundant energy and talent of the understudy obliterated all thoughts of disappointment.

I think the disciples may have gone on a similar journey.

There they were, sopping up the last of their Passover meal, when Jesus told them he was leaving  -  and that the Holy Spirit would come instead. Their hearts weren’t ready for that. They wanted him. How could they imagine being helped or counseled by anyone else?

Then the book of Acts happened, obliterating all thoughts of disappointment.

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Truth is...Jesus didn't make that promise only to the disciples in the upper room. I know that's true because he didn't send the Holy Spirit only to them. We are promised the same Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, and Standby, weilding the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.

File that under "Good News"!

House-Building Tip from a Master Carpenter

 

Everyone who hears these words of mine

and doesn’t act on them

will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

Matthew 7:26 (CSB)

As a conclusion to the collection of life lessons and spiritual challenges that people call The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus dropped this truth bomb in the lap of each person who likes to call him a great teacher and leave it at that.

You know the kind of person I mean: "I'm not really a religious person, but I think the world would be a better place if we all paid attention to how Jesus talked about loving our neighbor and getting along."

While I agree that Jesus talked about loving our neighbor ... even to the point of calling it the second-greatest commandment ... I'm not so sure the phrase "getting along" fully summarizes what he meant.

I mean, the same Jesus who said "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39) also said "Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Matthew 10:34) So don't think you can fully understand Jesus in the space of a single sentence.

Besides, it's not about intellectual assent or curious contemplation. Jesus doesn't intend for us to hear his words and mentally agree with him, as if to say, "That's really good to think about."

He intends for us to do something about it.

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Truth is... Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of this verse in The Message makes it pretty clear: "If you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach."