Playing the fool

Did you know that the word fool is used more than 90 times in Scripture? A fool is one who spurns wisdom, rejects sound counsel, disdains God and civility, and holds on to the worthless while ignoring good things.

In two places in the book of Psalms we read these words, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1).

The verse literally means, “No God for me!”

Eddie Rickenbacker, the famous World War 2 ace pilot, was shot down over the Pacific and spent 21 days on a life raft. After his eventual rescue, he wrote, “In the beginning many of the men were atheists or agnostics, but at the end of the terrible ordeal, each, in his own way, discovered God. Each man found God in the vast, empty loneliness of the ocean. Each man found salvation and strength in prayer, and a community of feeling developed which created a liveliness of human fellowship and worship, and a sense of gentle peace.”

Only a fool rejects the obvious and holds on to that which is doomed to fail. Twice the Bible says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:2; 16:25)

God’s grace is sufficient to turn a fool’s heart toward Him and change his foolish ways. In God, he will find a sure path for his feet, his emotions and his heart. If I would be a fool, as some think Christians are, I would prefer to be the kind who follows the Lord. What others may think of as foolishness, God embraces as wisdom.

Used with permission from Guidelines Philippines, Inc. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, please write to Box 4000, 1280 Makati City, Philippines or e-mail address [email protected]. You may also visit our website at www.guidelines.org.