It is a wise person, like Solomon, who knows God and recognizes all the gifts He gives! It is an even wiser, humbled believer who stops to proclaim what God has given to us for our good and to declare His glory as a testimony of praise so others will know God, too! A thankful, wise leader leads people in the ways of God for if God is not present, worshiped, praised, and thanked we slander the very promises of God to be with us always with power to rescue us from harm.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”—Jesus, Matthew 7:24-27
Psalm 127, The Message
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
1-2 If God doesn’t build the house,
the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn’t guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?
3-5 Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows
are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you;
you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
We want to be wise. No one wakes up one day and says, “I think I want to be a fool and do things that will harm me or worse yet, my family.” Who doesn’t want to have the skills for living that keeps us walking on solid ground with Jesus? No one. Mostly no one.
It is also not our first choice or inner desire to be a fool who follows a foolish storyline of “this will be so good for you” or “you can be in control and have it your way” by cunning, manipulative people in and out of the church, but it happens. We all fall for it from times to time—especially when we are weak and have not called on God’s strength in surrender to His will. With me, I want to think the best of people and assume they are telling me the truth until they don’t. Trust God, He knows what He is doing.
The Good News is that when we fail and make a mess, and we all do—God shows up to flood our souls with His faithfulness, unconditional love along with His merciful kindness. That’s who God is and what He does. I need God in all of my life—all I am, all I think and in all I do. God must be in it! He is our firm foundation!
We can feel so very foolish when we give permission to anyone else but Jesus to tell us how to live our lives because it is those very people who think they can make our lives better, easier, more fulfilling. The Enemy’s goal of destruction and deception is to build within us his traits of envy, jealousy, and pride that he knows erodes our faith in shifting sands of thinking and living. We build a life in vain when our foundation is not God.
When God is not in it, proclaims Solomon, life is full of useless activities of mere survival in “shacks” on the sand where we hide and cower in fear of the Enemy’s attacks on our hearts, minds, and souls. Our fear, most likely, is passed on to our children unless we stop and invite God to be in all the details of our lives as the foundation upon which we build our lives. Only by the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice can we break the cycle of worries, doubts, fears, anxieties, and self-loathing that afflict our beings which lead us to live the life of a fool with “no leg to stand on”—only shifting sand beneath our feet.
When God is in it—He watches over us the tireless watchman who never slumbers not sleeps! Remember Psalm 121 that we read and studied a few days ago? Let’s revisit and refresh our thoughts with thanksgiving to God;
“I look up to the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won’t let you stumble,
your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God’s your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.
God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.” Psalm 121, MSG
Wow, what choose anyone but God? There is NO ONE like our God!
Lord,
Thank you for all your promises fulfilled with more blessings besides! Thank you for watching over us with love, care, and faithfulness unknown to man. Thank you for cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, refreshing our souls with your fresh new mercies for today that covers our messes of yesterday. Thank you for restoring the joy of your salvation at work within us. Lead me, Lord, for you are my firm foundation upon with I stand and proclaim your Truth.
In Jesus Name, Amen
