The tragedy of a wasted life


“O you sons of men, how long will you turn my honor and glory into shame?  How long will you love vanity and futility and seek after lies?”  Psalm 4:2 (Amplified)

It is possible for a person to live their entire life pursuing the wrong things, majoring on the meaningless and worthless.

It is possible to come to the very end of your life and, looking back on it, say, “What a total waste!”

That would be horrible and a tragedy beyond tragedies.

What is the purpose of life?  Question #1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?”  The answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

I often ponder this and think about it often, desiring to bring my life into harmony with its simple beauty:  glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.

Do you share my conviction that this is how our lives should be lived, that the goal of our existence should be to glorify God and enjoy Him forever?

Some might claim this is the thinking of a religious fanatic, that such a medieval mindset has no part in our modern world and puts up unnecessary hindrances to the pursuit of happiness in today’s technologically savvy society.

If you think this way, I urge you to ponder Psalm 4:2; you are perhaps in the very condition that God’s Word is telling you to avoid.  You might be loving vanity and seeking after worthless pursuits that will leave you, at the end of your life, regretting you put so much time, energy and treasure toward.  That would be horrific.

The Psalmist is warning us that we can “love vanity and futility and seek after lies.”  This is usually due to the fact that we fail to give God His rightful place of prominence in our lives.  When He is not Lord, we make ourselves out to be our own little gods and everything we then do is just additional steps in the wrong direction, leading to futility and a wasteland.

Jesus said many incredible things; here is one statement that is astounding in its relevance to today’s post:

“And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.'”  (Luke 16:15 NASB)

Allow me to repeat this for emphasis:  “for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”

The examples we could give to put flesh on this bone of truth is endless, but let me mention just one of these highly esteemed things which men delight in but are detestable in God’s sight:  sports in general and football in particular.

Many Americans worship football and all that surrounds this colossal waste of time, money and energy.  I don’t want to spend much time on detailing why I believe this, and perhaps this would be a blog worth writing at another time; suffice to say, most would agree that there are people in this country and around the world that love football far more than they love God.

Can I be so bold as to say that God despises football, mainly because it is something that so many men highly esteem?  I believe I am dead center and right on track, particularly when we see that the epitome of football, the Superbowl, has degenerated into a national orgy of alcohol consumption, overeating, sex, pride, lust and rock n’ roll…pure foolishness.

If there is any concrete example of one “seeking after lies,” “loving vanity and futility,” it is football, pure and simple.

But one will never see the truth of my statement until God opens their eyes.  Until this happens, men–and women–will continue to pay huge bucks and waste gigantic amounts of time and energy to indulge themselves in this national act of vanity.

On a side note, if you doubt what I say about football and sports in general, check you blood pressure as you read these words; this will give you the best evidence that what I’m writing about is absolute truth.

We are all going to die, some sooner than later.  I think one reason why the Lord allows us to slowly age is because it gives us the chance at gaining some much needed perspective on what is truly valuable in life.

As we lie on death’s door, thinking back on our lives, I don’t think one of us will ever regret that we didn’t buy that new boat or car that we had always longed for.  No, we will regret not spending more time with our kids and grandkids, or helping out the poor and needy, or making a real difference in the world.

If we are particularly astute, we will weigh our lives in the balance of God’s measurement, regretting that we did not spend more of our lives in getting to know Him and serve Him, bringing honor to His Name and advancing His causes in the earth.

I’m sure nobody, when they realize death is right around the corner, wishes they had spent more time in building up their bank balance or thinking, “I should have painted the garage floor when I had the time and chance to do it.”

Let’s stop pursuing vanity and futility in our lives and start today to rearrange our priorities in line with those that Jesus Himself modeled and practiced.  We will never regret it.

The disturbing rise of Islam: Part two

“Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.…” (1 John 2:22-23 NIV)

There are hard truths in the Bible; the verses above are just a sample.

Here is a question that eventually must be faced by those who call America their home:  does the Bible, or the Quran, teach truth?

You don’t have the luxury to sit on the fence on this, because the rise of Islam in America will soon force you to choose one or the other.

Islam is not content to be just another religious group in the world, peacefully co-existing along with others of different religious persuasions.  No, Islam seeks to dominate and exercise control over all others.  This is the problem.

Certainly there are moderate Muslims in the world who don’t share the jihadist mindset of many of their brethren.  These peaceful Muslims are much like you and I:  they want to live peacefully, desire to practice their religion free from governmental interference, and raise their families in an environment free from prejudice and fear of persecution.

But the problem with Muslims in general and the Quran in particular comes into sharp focus when they choose to live here in the United States and seek to alter the fabric of our Judeo-Christian foundation by claiming that the Quran is the inspired Word of God that all must follow and practice.

Again, for peaceful Muslims who simply want to do their best to raise their families alongside their American Christian neighbors in an environment of mutual respect and tolerance, the inherent differences between Islam and Christianity remain hidden and don’t usually create undue tension between the two faiths.

But when a group of Muslims begin spending big money in the heartland to put up billboards that boldly proclaim that Jesus is a Muslim, sparks are sure to fly and a line has been crossed in the sand.

I mentioned in my last blog how absurd it would be for the Mormons to dot the landscape with billboards that read, “Jesus was a Mormon!”  This would naturally cause a stir among evangelical Christians who recognize the falsity of this statement and the Mormons could rightfully expect a reaction from the Christian community.

It is unclear what kind of a reaction the Muslims expected the Christians living in Columbus, Ohio, to have when they woke up and were greeted with several billboards in their city which read, “Jesus is Muslim.”  Maybe they thought there would be no reaction at all, having already observed how lackadaisical the majority of people are to religious discussions and subjects.

Personally, part of my reaction is to comment on my blog and to point out that, according to the Bible in 1 John 2:22-23, anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ is a liar and, even said more strongly, is an “anti-Christ.”

Those words from the apostle John, revered for his many references in the Bible to “loving one another,” suddenly take on an entirely different force and meaning when we use them as a measuring stick to determine the truth or falsity of the teachings of the “prophet” Muhammad.

Islam flatly rejects the belief that Jesus is either the Christ or the Son of God.

Islam finds it blasphemous that Christians believe that God has a Son whose name is Jesus.

Islam denies that Jesus died on a cross (Quran 4:157), striking at the very heart of Christianity and gutting it of its central message of John the Baptist when he exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV)

If Jesus did not die on the cross, the concept of the “Lamb of God” is a mere sentimental idea that does nothing to reconcile guilty sinners with a holy God.  The death (crucifixion), burial and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus the Messiah, is the cornerstone of Christianity.  Remove it and the entire edifice falls (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

This is why the billboard erected with Muslim money is not only repugnant to Christians, but blasphemous.  When Muslims claim that Jesus is a Muslim, they are denying that He was crucified, that He died on the cross, and that He was raised from the dead after being buried in the tomb where He was laid after His death from being crucified.

Since this is true, what two things can we confidently assert about Muslims and the teachings of Muhammad when we compare their beliefs with 1 John 2:23-24?

Hard truths may not be easy to digest, but so are lies.

 

The disturbing rise of Islam: Part one

By now, you have probably seen the billboards in Columbus, Ohio that brazenly trumpet, “Jesus is Muslim.”

Here is a picture:

In doing research on this, I discovered that this type of Muslim advertising campaign is not new and a similar campaign was done in Australia.

Here is one link to the article:

http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/4080773866.html

These signs are disturbing, for several reasons.

First, the claim that Jesus was a Muslim is absurd.   Muhammad, the founder of Islam, lived in the years c. 570 – June 8, 632, at least 550 years after Jesus was resurrected. The claim that Jesus was ‘Muslim’ when Islam was not even on the radar screen during the life of Jesus is disingenuous at best.  At worst, the claim is an outright lie, intended to incite the religious sensibilities of Christians in the United States.

A Mormon making the claim that “Jesus is a Mormon” would be equally ridiculous, for the same reasons cited above.

Second, the claim is disturbing because it reveals an Islamic hostility toward Christian orthodoxy in general and a decidedly unfriendly  and disrespectful attitude for these Muslims living in Columbus, Ohio toward their Christian neighbors in particular.

I have to admire this particular group of Muslims for their boldness, but they fail the test when this action is graded on diplomatic finesse.  If they believe that a billboard like this is going to create good-will among Muslims and Christians and bring the two groups closer together, they could not be more mistaken.  Their lack of sensitivity and wisdom is shocking.

Imagine the uproar in the American Muslim community if a similar billboard was erected throughout, say, Dearborn, Michigan, that trumpeted “Muhammad was a born again Christian!”  This would neither be factual nor effectual in bringing Christians and Muslims closer together.  It would be the same glaring public relations disaster that this billboard in Columbus is guilty of.

Third, the statement that Jesus is a Muslim is incorrect and this particular Muslim group responsible for putting up these billboards are spreading falsehoods.  It is one thing for someone to make the unfounded claim that a Chevy truck is a better vehicle than a Ford, but to make a blatant, false statement about the founder of Christianity and the Lord of Glory is to potentially bring out understandably negative and hurt feelings in the Christian community.

Fourth, the complete lack of wisdom that this Muslim group is exhibiting by putting up such a divisive and outrageous claim leaves one scratching their head and asking, “Why? What possible good can come out of such a brazen and offensive statement?”

It is not a move that will “gain friends and influence people” and endear non-Muslims to sympathize with their agenda.  The billboard is an act of foolishness which will only cause the already deep divide that exists between Christians and Muslims to grow ever wider.

Fifth, this unwise decision only reinforces the stereotype that many people already have of Muslims that they are intolerant, divisive, unwilling to peacefully co-exist with their neighbors, and are trouble-makers.

Again, they score high points for their shocking brazenness, but fail miserably on their diplomatic skills.  “Nation (or neighborhood) building” is an attribute that these particular Muslims need a fair amount of tutoring in.

If there is any good that can come from this foolish and unwise display, it is this:  God’s prophetic Word has once again been proven to be uncannily accurate.

We find the following prophecy in Genesis 16:12 about Ishmael, the father of the Arab race:

“He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” (NIV)

Clearly, this billboard and all it represents, is a stunning fulfillment of this amazing prophecy made over 3,500 years ago, proving once again the singular uniqueness of Holy Scripture.

Refreshingly, some Christians in the Columbus area are not allowing this affront to the faith to go unchallenged.  One man in particular, Dave Daubenmire, has rallied the troops to hold a peaceful, non-violent prayer vigil and rally.   Peaceful and non-violent are the important words here, and there can be no cause for anyone, Christian or otherwise, to react in any other fashion but to follow the words of Jesus when He said, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

Here is a quote from Mr. Daubenmire taken from the linked article above:

“Although we support the Islamic community’s right to free speech, as well as their right to post messages on billboards, we do not support the hi-jacking of the name of Jesus Christ in their attempt to lure uninformed Christians into their religion,” Coach Dave Daubenmire said.

“‘Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and resurrected over 600 years before the birth of Mohammed.  Although Islam honors Jesus as a prophet, they do not believe that He is the risen Son of God.  During this most Holy Lenten Season we find the messages on the billboards to be insensitive, dishonest and deserving of a response from concerned Christians. We will be on the streets to proclaim Jesus is NOT Muslim but Jesus is Lord!’, he continued.”

Daubenmire has a Facebook page dedicated to the upcoming rally:

https://www.facebook.com/events/303710629778422/

If you are in the Columbus area, I urge you to attend this prayer rally.  Stand up and be counted for the sake of truth and the honor of the Lord Jesus.

Being “gracious”

“The Lord is gracious…”  Psalm 145:8a (NASB)

Are you a gracious person?  What does it mean to be gracious?  Does it even matter?

I believe it matters a great deal, because a gracious man or woman is a blessing to humanity.  If true, then an ungracious man or woman is a curse.

The Bible describes God as being gracious; since this a fact, ought His children–Christians–strive to be like Him?  And if He is gracious, we who are called by His Name should strive to not only mimic His behavior, but become like Him in every aspect of our lives.

We are exhorted in Scripture to be “imitators of God, as beloved children…” (Ephesians 5:1).  This Greek word “imitator” is an interesting one:  mimetes.  It comes from another Greek word, mimeomai, which means “a mimic, an actor.”

In other words, we are to “mimic” God’s behavior, much like what an actor does when he or she plays a part in a movie or play.  You may have heard the term “getting into character,” a mental and physical process actors use to absorb themselves into the mindset of the person they are imitating on the set.

Similarly, we are to “get into God’s character” by studying and meditating on His Word, striving to bring our personalities under the control of His Holy Spirit.  This is easier said than done, of course, but is an endeavor worth every ounce of effort.

My childhood was a disaster, filled with violence, hatred, rage and other dysfunctional weirdness.  It was so bad, in fact, that I ran away from home at 15 years old and never went back.  All this to say, graciousness was not an attribute in my home that was  regularly practiced and mentored.

When I began to walk with Jesus, I knew that I had countless issues that I had to deal with.  It was easy for me to acknowledge that I was a messed up individual, and I longed to be a better man.  At an early age, perhaps as young as 17 or 18 years old, I decided that Jesus was someone I wanted to emulate and chose Him as my role model.

For a couple of years, I have been studying about the gracious character and nature of the Lord.  Psalm 145 has become one of my favorites and speaks of His gracious nature.

The word gracious is defined in several ways; I like the way “free dictionary.com” describes it and will list just the first three definitions:

1. Characterized by kindness and warm courtesy.

2. Characterized by tact and propriety: responded to the insult with gracious humor.

3. Of a merciful or compassionate nature.

One could spend a lifetime in musing over these three characteristics of the word gracious and still not exhaust every nuance of meaning.  In looking them over, the obvious question to ask is, “Am I gracious?”  Better yet, let my personalize it by asking myself:

“Roy, is your personality and the way you deal with other people characterized by kindness and warm courtesy?”  Asking such a question takes moral fortitude, because I am probably not far off the mark when I suggest that most of us are deficient in this area.

“Roy, is your personality and the way you deal with other people characterized by tact and propriety?”  In other words, how do you and I treat people in our everyday lives?  How do we treat our wives, husbands, or children?  Our roommates?  Co-workers?  Rude or clueless people on public transportation?

How do you treat your enemies?  People who neither like nor respect you?  This is a tough one.

“Roy, do you have a merciful and compassionate nature?”

Have you noticed that people, in general, are kind to animals?  Did you know that Adolph Hitler was an animal lover?  I bring this up because, contrary to popular opinion, someone who is kind to animals does not always guarantee they will extend that kindness to their fellow humans.

Being a gracious person is a high and holy calling.  I understand that there are people who are seemingly born with a gracious nature and are elegant and royal in their treatment of others.

An image that comes to my mind when I think of a gracious individual is someone from the antebellum South or a 19th century well-bred English gentleman or lady.  A person with impeccable manners who carries themselves with a certain noble air and demeanor.

God is a gracious God.  His character is marked by compassion and mercy.  Jesus was no doubt the quintessential gentleman, exemplified in the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11.  I long to be like that.

Being around a gracious individual is like walking around in a comfortable pair of slippers.  They are easy to get along with.  An excellent test of whether or not you are a gracious individual is how you are when you are traveling with others, or staying as a guest in their home.

I had a friend that I traveled with every now and then.  He was not a gracious person.  For example, whenever he made a cup of coffee, he never thought to make me one while he was in the process of making his.  I know this is a little thing and not something to make a big deal over, but this kind of behavior was not isolated to this one particular incident.  He is a selfish individual who is concerned primarily about his own needs and wants.

When we were deciding where to eat, he always wanted to eat at his favorite place.  Again, not a big deal, but indicative of a man who was neither gracious nor that pleasant to travel with.  Everything had to happen on his schedule, and as long as you were on the same timetable as his, things went smooth.  If I wanted to do something different that he might not have preferred, he would accommodate my request but didn’t enjoy it as much as if he had called the shots.

Finally, after years of dealing with his selfishness, I cut ties with him; it was one of the best decisions I made and I was glad to be free of that constricting mentality.

I wonder what kind of a traveling companion Jesus must have been.  Did He insist on using the shower first in the morning?  Of course not.  Would He get up in the morning and only make coffee for Himself?  No, I couldn’t imagine that.

Do you think Jesus, when Him and His disciples went into someone’s home for the first time to spend the night, checked out the spare bedroom to find the most comfortable bed to sleep in and, finding it, put his tunic on the bed, signifying to the disciples that He claimed it for Himself?  Again, I couldn’t imagine Him doing this.

But we do this, don’t we?  I mean, if you go to someone’s house and have the choice of sleeping on a nice bed in your own private room with its own bathroom or the living room couch, which one would you choose?  Friends, being gracious is not an easy thing to be.

Again, I long to be a gracious man, but I realize I have a long, hard journey ahead of me in this area.  Hopefully, as the Scriptures teach, “… we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”  (2 Cor. 3:18 KJV)

I know I’m not where I want to be in this area, but I’m hoping I’m not where I used to be.  To be slowly transformed from “glory to glory” is the great hope, so that one day we can hear from others as they hang around us and observe our characters, that we are gracious individuals.

Like an old pair of comfortable slippers.

 

Berkeley Blitz: Day’s Two and Three

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The first week of the “Berkeley Blitz” is over.  Today is Monday, March 10, 2014, a time to reflect on the past three days before I leave the house in less than an hour to start week two.

The photo above is taken in front of Sather’s Gate, a main conduit for UC Berkeley students; thousands pass through here every day and we have one of our preaching spots right here.

UC Berkeley is much different than any other major university I have ministered on.  To put it kindly, there are a lot of strange people that float in and out of this campus.

For example, while Don Harman was preaching, an elderly, white-haired man was performing some bizarre antics near him.  He pulled his camouflaged jacket over his head and, bent over, began to slowly turn in circles while waving his arms and hands up and down, whispering occasional chants while doing this slow-motion dance (see the video below).

Again, while Don was preaching, another man, a non-student, would stand near Don and raise his voice, telling the students that there is no such thing as a Christian.  He held in his hand a piece of paper with verses from the Sermon on the Mount printed on it and saying that no one lives up to its standards.

Along with the bizarre, there are also the curious.  I was blessed to have many conversations with students who stopped to engage in fruitful conversation.  Yesterday was an example of this.

I was standing with one of my posters that asks, “Are you right with God?” in bold, white lettering on a black background.  On the bottom is reads, “Repent and believe the Gospel.”  (Mark 1:15)  This is my favorite sign because of the power behind the question.

I like to ask the students questions to try and engage them in conversations.  For example, when a student passes by me I will gently ask, “Young man, are you right with God today?”  Their reactions can be startling; it’s not something they are usually asked on this liberal, anti-God campus and it pulls them up short.

Sometimes they respond, “F**k God!”  Or you will hear the occasional “Hail Satan!”  I might get the silent treatment with their only response being to show me their middle finger as they walk  by.

Many smile and say, “Yes, I am.”  And then I say something like, “Have you repented and believe in the Gospel?  Because that’s what Jesus said is necessary in order to be right with God.”

Many don’t like to hear that.  The smiles quickly fade and their jaws set, no doubt because this is something that clashes with their false, preconceived notions of how one gets right with God.

But then there are some who continue to smile even after I tell them of repentance and belief in the Gospel.  They might say, “Amen!”  I will then ask if they are Christians and some will enthusiastically reply that they are.  These are the ones that warm and encourage my soul and I praise and encourage them in their faith in Christ.

A teen-ager, probably not even a Cal student, with bright, dyed red hair and torn jeans, came up to me.  She asked me about one of my signs, the one that reads “Evolution is a lie,” a sure conversation starter.

I was struck by her friendliness, freshness and innocence.  She was respectful and curious, and I felt that I was speaking with one who had yet to be corrupted by the wicked culture of the San Franciso/Berkeley area (she is in the video).

Hopefully, the few seeds I was able to share with her will take root in her life and she will give her life to Christ before she becomes one of the countless other young people who succumb to drugs, alcohol and loose living.  I am thankful to be there, to offer hope, warning and reconciliation to God through Jesus.

I am blessed to have other brothers in the faith joining me in this tough mission field:  Larry, Don, Dave and others.  Their faith, boldness and love of Christ inspires and motivates me, pushing me forward in this great cause that binds us together:  a band of regenerated brothers.

Nick is another student attracted by my “Evolution is a lie” sign.  I was busy talking with another student when he first came up and didn’t have a chance to speak with him before he left, no doubt to his next class.  About an hour later he returned and stayed for over two hours to stand and talk, along with a small knot of other students.  They are hungry and they are searching.

Nick is proud of his Catholic background and education.  At the end of our conversation, I ask him if he is born again, quoting Jesus in John 3:5.  He replies that yes, he has, but through the rituals of the Catholic church:  baptism and confession.  It is clear as we talk that he has little clue of the true meaning of being “born again.”  Few Catholics do.

He is relying on the fact that he is a member of the Catholic faith and that doing good works is how one becomes “born from above.”  I quote to him Ephesians 2:8-9 and gently explain that this kind of thinking is going to send him straight to hell.

That’s what Protestants believe, he counters, and I tell him that’s what the Bible teaches.  I urge him to read the entire third chapter of the Gospel of John and also Ephesians 2:8-9 when he goes home.  He tells me he will and I hope he does.

On Sunday, I attend an on-campus church called “In Christ Alone,” made up predominantly of Asian students.  I met one of the pastors, Vieng Wong, while open-air preaching and we hit it off.  He is very evangelistically minded and their church, made up of approximately 30 people, has been on campus for about ten years.

Afterwards, Vieng buys me lunch at a Korean restaurant off-campus. Joining us is Arnold, a young Asian student from Hong Kong on fire for the Gospel.  You will see both Veing and Arnold in the first few seconds of the video.  Arnold is young firebrand, full of zeal and passion, and young men like him, mentored by committed pastors like Veing, will turn UC Berkeley upside down for Jesus.

Veing invited me to speak at his church and also to dinner this week at his house.  He is excited to learn how to open-air preach and wants me to “show him the ropes.”  Hopefully, this week, March 10-14, 2014, I will be able to do just that.

My first three days at UC Berkeley has been nothing short of remarkable.  I am astonished at how many people I have met and been privileged to share the realities of the kingdom of God with.  Not every conversation is easy and friendly; there are haters of the Gospel here and the spiritual battle is very real, but I could not ask for a better start to the “Berkeley Blitz.”

If you feel led, please keep us in prayer.  We desperately need it.

 

 

 

Wisdom is better than gold

“How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.”  Proverbs 3:13-14 (NASB)

What is wisdom?  How does one find it?

There are many definitions of wisdom, some better than others.  I could spend an entire blog on just defining the word, but for now, here is a description I find helpful:

“The purpose of Proverbs is to guide the reader into wisdom, a word with many nuances.  It is related to the intellect and the control of human behavior.  It is a way of thinking about reality that enables us to pursue what is good in life.  Through wisdom, God reveals what the values of life are and how they may be achieved.” *

As mentioned in my previous blog, I have been an ardent pursuer of wisdom for most of my adult life, starting in my late teens and continuing to this day.  It is an unending fascination as I strive to incorporate the principles of godly wisdom into my daily life.

Proverbs tells us that wisdom is better than silver or gold.  Who talks like this today?  What financial pundit gets on television and says, “Stop spending so much time worrying about your stock portfolio and take time to study the book of Proverbs.  It will be better than all the money tips I could ever give you.”

That person would lose their job, replaced by another who will dutifully carry forth the party line of “money is the answer to everything.”

Wisdom is intricately intertwined around the kingdom of God.  Jesus said, “But seek first His kingdom of and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matt. 6:33

These “things” that Jesus said will be added to those who seek first His kingdom are the necessities of daily life: food, clothing and shelter (see Matt. 6:25-32).  Being a practical God, He knows full well that His creatures need to eat every day, wear clothes, and have a place to sleep.

The problem arises when our priorities become skewed, a situation that is doubtless true for most of us.  Instead of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, we pursue money and all the dainties and treats that it can buy.

This is where wisdom comes in, speaking softly to us, wooing us away from the ceaseless false chatter of materialism.  But there is a catch to knowing wisdom: we must seek her as ardently as a lover pursues his first love (Jeremiah 29:13).  Wisdom will be found only by those who appreciate and diligently seek her.

I again encourage my readers to spend time in the book of Proverbs.  For starters, read the first chapter.  Mine the rich ore you will find there and become delighted in the discovering the riches found only in the kingdom of righteousness.

* Note from “The Reformation Study Bible” by Ligonier Ministries.