Have you been acting foolishly?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

The way of a fool seems right to him,
    but a wise man listens to advice.
A fool shows his annoyance at once,
    but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
(Proverbs 12:15-16 (NIV))

If everyone lived by this truth, the daytime television shows that thrive on fights and outbursts would soon go away. Unfortunately, instead of thinking first, many in our society seem to act first and never think. This often leads to disastrous results.

I hate to say this, but this current philosophy of society is even beginning to find its way into the church. Nothing seems to be off limits in the eyes of many people. I bet that you can easily recall the last time that you heard someone talking badly about the preacher because a Biblically based message stepped on someone’s toes. Instead of taking the words that God wrote, and the preacher delivered, as an instruction on how to change their life, someone took it as a personal attack by the preacher.

We must pray for our society. We must pray for our churches. We must pray for our families, and we must pray for ourselves. We must pray that we are given discernment so that we never become like the fool who shows his annoyance and his ignorance. We must pray that we never become self-righteous and indignant. We must pray that God grants us wisdom in all that we do.

There is an old saying that “It is better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Think about this the next time that something begins to annoy you.

keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking lies.
(Psalm 34:13 (NIV))

Focus on God’s Word. Meditate upon it. Let His Word become your words.

May my tongue sing of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.
(Psalm 119:172 (NIV))

Have you been acting foolishly?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery
Visit us on facebook

Are you being responsible in telling about Jesus?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

“He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
(Luke 10:16 (NIV))

I know that I have read this passage before, but it struck me differently when I read it tonight!

Do you realize what this means? I am not saying this to pat ourselves on the back. I am saying this to let the Body of Christ know of the power that we have when we speak the name of Jesus in truth. If we truly know Jesus, and we truly know God’s Word, and we tell others of the power and the truth of God’s word and His Word made flesh, then we truly are representing Jesus to those who hear.

If they accept what we say and, as a result, they accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, then they have also accepted God’s redeeming love for them. They have accepted the place that has been prepared for them in God’s eternal kingdom.

If they reject what we have to say about Jesus in truth, it is the same as if they were rejecting Jesus face to face. According to the passage, they are rejecting God!

I realize that this can weigh heavily on each of us. How do you feel knowing that the people that you tell about Jesus have rejected God? It makes me feel sad for those who do reject Jesus and God. Still, we must tell all whom we see.

When I say to a wicked man, `You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.
(Ezekiel 3:18-19 (NIV))

It is our responsibility to tell the world, to share the good news of Jesus Christ!

Are you being responsible in your assignment?

Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
Subscribe to daily email delivery