Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 26:1-5
Prov 26:1-5
1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool. 2 Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. 3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools. 4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
1 Cor 1:28-31
God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
“None is so blind as he who will not see.” Jesus said that we are not to throw pearls to the pigs. A sow in the mud does not see any value in pearls, so it is with a fool who does not see value in the wisdom that comes from God. When one refuses to even listen to what is being said, it is a waste of time to speak. In fact, the more we try to reason with a person like that, the wiser they think they are because they have us engaged in their foolish conversations.
There were times that the Jewish teachers tried to trap Jesus by asking him foolish questions. Some of these he did give them an answer, and others he simply replied with a question. He used wisdom to know when to speak and when to keep quiet. When he did reply to them, his answers were based on the wisdom that comes from above.
He explained to his disciples that this was why he used parables to teach. If one was spiritually inclined and was looking for truth, they would understand the meaning of the parables. If not, all they would hear was a nice but useless story. One must be spiritually inclined, that is looking for truth from God, to be able to understand spiritual truths.
The story of a man who was hung on a tree and died, was taken down and buried, and then who some claimed came back to life, is foolishness to the one who seeks wisdom from the world. To the spiritually minded, this is the wisdom of God.
O Lord God, thank you for the nation in which I live. Thank you for the many freedoms that I enjoy, and too often take for granted. Thank you for the freedom to express my beliefs without fear of persecution. Thank you that you allowed me to be born at the time and in the place where I have lived my life. Thank you for giving me parents who loved you and who taught me to love you. Help me use all of this to your glory and to lead others to Jesus. In his name I pray.
Robert
