My title for this devotion is Fool or Wise?
Over the past couple of months I have read two books that came from a unique perspective. Their authors were former atheists who came to know Christ as their Savior. They wrote for different reasons. Confronting Christianity by Rebecca MacLaughlin was written to answer 12 arguments that Christianity (God) is accused of. Why I Still Believe by Mary Jo Sharp was written to counteract actions in the church which threatened to turn MJ away from her life in Christ.
The denial of God’s existence is very real. There are those whose life mission is to disprove or argue His existence. The late Stephen Hawking. Dawkins. The late Christopher Hitchens. And others. But Psalm 14 puts a word on them that is ominous and no one wants to be called: F.O.O.L.
No one like to be called a fool and yet the ultimate foolishness is the denial of God. But what concerns me is the one who believes in God and yet lives as if He doesn’t exist. What do I mean by that? Glad you asked. 🙂 It’s the one who lives:
- As though God is a second thought not a first thought.
- As though he is the master of his own fate
- As though he is the ultimate ruler of his life and doesn’t need God’s authority.
- As though he is smart enough to act and doesn’t need God’s wisdom
- As though he has it within himself to overcome sin and temptation and doesn’t need God’s power in his life.
- As though he gets things done by merit and does not need nor have to rely on God’s grace.
Could it be that every time I/you do or think the above thoughts we are saying, “God, I don’t need you. I’m going on this alone” even though we may not verbalize it?
I want to borrow from Paul David Tripp’s book Come Let Us Adore Him:
A fool has no ability whatsoever to rescue himself from his own foolishness. A fool is always a person in need of eternal rescue…He (Jesus) was born to rescue fools like you and me. (pp.122-123)
“Father, help me not to live in such a way so that it appears I don’t believe in You. Instead, help me to live a life of wisdom-a life of surrender to You and not to myself.”
I may need to read “Why I Still Believe”. The longer I am a Christian the more I struggle with them…
Perhaps it is sibling rivalry? 🙂
Thank you, Bill, for really making us stop and think about how we are treating God – as a constant presence, or an afterthought? Oh, I pray not to fall into the category labeled “fool,” and hang on to the Lord with every fiber of my soul.
Blessings!
Good reminder! Thank you! Recently God spoke to my heart on this very subject. Summed up I have to often ask myself a simple question “Is this His job/responsibility or mine?” If I am going at life and my relationships, etc as if it “all depends on me” then I am living “as an atheist at heart”. One of the many verses that help keep me “in check” is those in Proverbs – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding…” Yup, thank you – needed this reminder this morning (every morning, noon and night for that matter 😉)
The earth does indeed declare His majesty. And that again shows the humble nature of God; He allows the very breath that people use to mock and blaspheme Him… and yet He loves them.