A word to the wise
In the church calendar, today (January 6th) is known as Epiphany and which marks the magi’s visit to Jesus. But it’s not just the Christmas narrative that features wise men.
Jesus told a parable about a wise man who built a house which withstood a ferocious storm. He contrasted this with a foolish man who also built a house but which a storm destroyed. The point Jesus made was that those who heed his words establish a firm foundation for their lives. The reverse is also true. Those who have little or no value for the word of God build their lives on sinking sand.
Those of you who have read my previous posts will be aware that my main aim with this blog is to help people come to the firm belief that the Bible is both true and to be trusted. For it to be the foundation upon which they build their life.
This has two purposes:
The first is so that God is honoured. Our attitude to the Bible is a litmus test of our attitude to God. Indifference to the veracity of the Bible equates to indifference to God.
Secondly, if our lives are not undergirded by the truth of scripture inevitably something else will be our foundation. When the storms of life come our way the outcome will not be favourable.
Embracing God’s wisdom is a choice, but so is being foolish - and who would want to be deemed foolish by God. In fact, much of the Bible book of Proverbs is given over to comparing a lifestyle of choosing God’s ways; wisdom - or the ways of the world; folly.
Since the time that sin entered the human experience the world has known trouble and travail but the Bible also points to a day before Christ returns when this will increase. I don’t know about you but it seems to me that we are living in these days. Haggai 2:6 adds to this in prophesying that, ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land’. That being the case, we do well to ensure that our foundations are unshakeable.
As if we needed convincing, when an earthquake strikes, one of the safest places to be is in a well-constructed building. One whose foundations are unshakeable.
As we begin this new year my encouragement would be to emulate those wise men who visited the baby Jesus and to not only humble ourselves before the Word made flesh but before the word of God. Submitting to its veracity and building our lives on its virtue.
This is wisdom indeed!
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