WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
NOVEMBER 2, 2021
TOPIC: DON’T BE FOOLISH!
BY T. O. BANSO
“LORD, after I wandered away from you, I changed my heart and life. After I understood, I beat my breast with sorrow. I was ashamed and disgraced, because I suffered for the foolish things I did when I was young” (Jeremiah 31:19 New Century Version).
Regrets always follow disobedience to the Word of God – if not immediately after, certainly later. It is wise and better to obey the Word of God. To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).
The writer of Psalm 119 says in verse 8, “ I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!” (New King James Version). In verse 34, he says, “Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart” (New King James Version). He continues in verse 106, “I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments” (New King James Version).
You need to commit yourself to obey the Word of God if you don’t want to regret it later in life. The Word of God is superior to your wisdom; it is higher than your intelligence. The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:25). In other words, what men consider foolishness in God is wiser than human wisdom.
It is folly to reject God’s Word and follow your own ways. The end is a disaster. Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 say there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
After Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians, she said in lamentation, “LORD, after I wandered away from you, I changed my heart and life. After I understood, I beat my breast with sorrow. I was ashamed and disgraced, because I suffered for the foolish things I did when I was young” (Jeremiah 31:19 New Century Version). Disobedience gives birth to suffering.
The New Living Translation renders Jeremiah 31:19 thus: “I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.” This scripture is very important for everyone, particularly young people. They should follow the Word of God in their youth so that they don’t kick themselves later in life for their stupidity. They should obey God in their youth to avoid being thoroughly ashamed of their past later in life.
Don’t be stupid; avoid foolish behavior. It is always good to obey the Lord whether you’re young or old. There is a future for everybody irrespective of age. There is life after death – eternity with God or eternity with Satan.
If you obey the Word of God now, you’ll avoid stupid things that you’ll be ashamed of later. Unfortunately, there are girls, boys, men, and women who seem to be enjoying themselves now, but will cry in the future. They’ll cry for being stupid. It’s not too late to repent now.
God’s paths are righteous and will lead to honour and dignity, not shame and destruction. Following Satan’s paths will lead to destruction. Don’t be attracted to foolish behavior. Samuel rebuked King Saul for doing foolishly by offering a burnt offering to God instead of waiting for him to do so.
“And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you’” (1 Samuel 13:13-14 New King James Version).
Similarly, after conducting a census, which was not commanded by God, David described his action as very foolish. “And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD,’ I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly’” (2 Samuel 24:10 New King James Version). Because of that foolishness, 70,000 Israelites died in a plague.
We need to pray for leaders at all levels that they will not act foolishly, but wisely. Both the leaders and followers must avoid foolish behaviour. Ecclesiastes 9:17 says, “Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king” (New Living Translation).
King Asa of Judah did foolishly by relying on the king of Syria instead of God. When Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, so that nobody could go out or come in to Asa, Asa approached King Ben-hadad of Syria for a treaty between the two of them as it was between their fathers. He sent him silver and gold to break his treaty with the king of Israel so that he would withdraw from him.
Ben-hadad did exactly that. He sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. When Basha heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah. The treaty worked for Asa, but, as the LORD said to him through Hanani the seer, he (Asa), by the treaty, missed his chance to destroy the army of the king of Syria (Aram).
Hanani told him, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars” (2 Chronicles 16:9 New King James Version). Did you see that? He did foolishly. Don’t be foolish!
God’s Word or instructions are for your own good. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3 New King James Version). If you follow them, you will not be ashamed. But if you don’t, you can’t have your cake and eat it – there are consequences. “Then you will remember your past sins and hate yourselves for all the evil things you did” (Ezekiel 36:31 New Living Translation).
Tamar, a virgin and Absalom’s sister, pleaded with Amnon, her half-brother and David’s oldest son, who wanted to rape her in his house, “‘No, my brother!’ she cried. ‘Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! You know what a serious crime it is to do such a thing in Israel’” (2 Samuel 13:12 New Living Translation). He didn’t stop his foolishness. He raped his younger sister – half-sister. But two years later, when it appeared as if he had gotten away with his crime, Absalom killed him (verses 23-39). Don’t be foolish!
If you’re a youth, avoid the so-called youthful exuberance. You don’t have to do some stupid things when you’re young! Listen to your parents, guardians, and tutors. Seek and serve the Lord in your youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1). You’ll give account to Him for everything (Ecclesiastes 11:9).
Don’t be foolish! Act wisely. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5 New King James Version).
To say there is no God is to be a fool (Psalms 14:1; 53:1). To disobey God is to be foolish. To blaspheme His name and reproach Him is to be foolish (Psalm 74:18, 22). To reject Godly counsel or rebuke is to be foolish. To be wise in your own eyes is foolishness (Proverbs 3:7; 12:15; 21:2; 30:12).
To despise your parents is foolishness (Proverbs 15:20). To pull down your house with your own hands is foolishness (Proverbs 14:1). To lack knowledge and understanding is foolishness (Proverbs 14:7; Jeremiah 4:22). To be proud or plot evil is to be foolish (Proverbs 30:32).
Don’t be foolish!
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, deliver me from foolish behavior that will make me suffer later; baptize me with wisdom. O LORD, grant leaders all over the world and the followers/citizens wisdom to make the right decisions.
(For over 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
