How to Know the Difference Between Foolish & Wise
Many of us want to see the world in shades of gray . . . a blending of beliefs and ideas presented as perfectly acceptable truth.
But there is no simply acceptable truth. There is only truth or lie, fact or fiction, right or wrong.
David believed that God and His Word are the absolute truth and that it’s foolish for us not to place our complete trust in Him.
Psalm 14 begins…
The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.”
Psalm 14:1a (CSB)
Through David, God wanted us to know that those who deny His existence are either foolish or they’re evil.
They are corrupt; they do vile deeds.
Psalm 14:1b
There is no one who does good.
That seems harsh to us. We’ve been taught to be tolerant and accepting of other beliefs and ideas.
But David isn’t talking about those who have doubts or questions. He’s referring to people who live in direct defiance of God and His will. Those who stubbornly rely on “self” and refuse to look to God in faith.
He went on to say that the “truly wise” SEEK God.
The Lord looks down from heaven
Psalm 14:2
on the entire human race;
He looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
if anyone seeks God.
And Paul quoted his words from Psalm 14 in Romans 3:10–12.
Why?
Because Paul wanted everyone who read his words to remember that no matter who we are, no matter what our genetic makeup, wealth, or societal background we are all sinners in need of a Savior. We all need God’s love and forgiveness.
It is either foolish or corrupt to live life self-absorbed, self-reliant, and selfish . . . which is exactly where the enemy of our souls, the father of lies, wants us.
So, if you and I want to be truly wise, we need to faithfully SEEK God. We need to look to Jesus and follow His example.
Jesus told His followers…
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.
Matthew 6:33
Wisdom is putting God first . . . surrendering every aspect of our lives to Him and inviting Him to guide and direct the smallest details of our days. Wisdom is knowing God’s will and giving it our highest priority.
J. I. Packer wrote:
“Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.”
Wisdom is trusting Jesus – the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
And wisdom is surrendering our hearts and minds to the guidance of the Spirit.
When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.
John 16:13a
Paul wrote these words to the church in Rome…
Through everything God made, [people] can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
Romans 1:20b–23
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
It sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
People worship the creation rather than worshipping the Creator. They strive to be “good enough” to save themselves rather than repenting and admitting that they need the Savior. They spend their time searching for “self-help” rather than following the guidance of the Helper.
May we pause today to repent of our foolishness and ask Him to help us intentionally SEEK to KNOW Him and His will. Because He is truly the only One who is able to make us “wise.”
Let’s pray…
A Prayer to SEEK God First
to Live Wise Not Foolish
Father, thank you for wanting us to KNOW You. Your Word says that You have made Yourself evident in all You created. And You sent Jesus that we might KNOW You personally.
Thank you for making it possible for us to know the absolute truth about wisdom in a world full of foolish beliefs and ideas. Thank you for making it possible for us to experience the blessings of wisdom through Your Word and the counsel of Your Spirit.
Please forgive me for the times I have listened to the world’s foolishness. Forgive me for the times I’ve given attention to the enemy’s lies and attempts to get me to selfishly focus on myself more than I focus on You.
Please help me. I want to set my heart and mind on “things above.” I want to SEEK You and Your Kingdom above all else. I want to fully surrender myself to Your love so that I might wisely live each day enjoying the blessings of Your Spirit. I want to experience joy, peace, patience, strength, courage, kindness, self-control, and love. I want to build my life on the firm foundation of faith in Your Son and my Savior, Jesus. Amen.
Friend, our loving God gives us the freedom to choose between being foolish and wise . . . between faith and faithlessness. He wants us to love Him freely and to experience the blessings of following Him in love.
We won’t live perfectly nor will we be perfectly wise this side of heaven . . . that’s why we need Jesus and why we need the Spirit to guide us to the absolute truth.
May God bless you and give you everything You need today to SEEK our good and gracious God above all else and may He guide you with the truth that you might live wisely.
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I have been receiving emails from you for some time now. I don’t recall how or why I got subscribed to you. Recently I started opening your messages and reading them. I want to thank you. My mornings are more pleasant and through your words I feel as if I am getting closer to Jesus and there is a peaceful calm inside me. I hope that makes sense. Thank you Jesus for Deb! Hugs and blessings,GinaB
Oh, Gina, thank you so very much! I’m so very glad you are being blessed by your visits. Your kind encouragement blessed my heart today. I’m asking the Lord to continue to bless and encourage you. Blessings!
Your blog is a godsend. So well written and encouraging and draws me into the truths of God. I love opening my email to find you there. May God continue to bless your ministry and you and your family. Thank you for the time you spend in writing and sharing these truths.
Thank you so much, Shelley. You made my day! I love being able to do this and when I hear from readers like you it’s a sweet blessing of encouragement. God be with you and bless you.
Thank you, Deb, for yet another timely reminder to make sure we are choosing each and every day to put God first in our lives.
Have a blessed weekend!
More and more the foolish are choosing not to believe in God. Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…
Proverbs 13:14
The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. 20) He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Jeremiah 22:29
O earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord.
I pray for the wisdom of the Lord’s countenance.
Solomon had a lot to say about our need for wisdom and where to find it. I’m so glad the Lord felt it was so important, He made clear that if we want to be wise . . . we need to focus on God’s absolute truth. Thanks for sharing these wonderful verses, my friend! Have a wonderful weekend.
Deb,
I just echo all the above comments, especially Gina and Shelley….they said what I was thinking, too!
What a blessing to have these messages / teachings of TRUTH right in our emails 3x a week!
In this day of technology, it’s amazing how good It can be if we choose to use it that way! What a benefit to have access to each other and the Word thru our emails, etc.
May you be encouraged to abide close to Him as you dig out the truth and present it to us and others. You ARE making a difference—because you are serving the One who makes all the difference! Praise Him!!
Thank you for being encouraging, and obedient to God. Your daily devotionals are such a blessing to me! I wish we could sit together and talk. Your words become my battle cry…. Lord change me, deliver
Me, help me find my way, and be a blessing to everyone I come across.
Thank you, Amy! I truly appreciate your kind encouragement. God bless you as you serve Him!
Thank you Deb for all your time and effort that you put into these messages. You are truly anointed. No matter what I am going through, these messages help to bring peace and encouragement. Keep up the good work.
God bless you!!!
Thank you, Beverly! I love being able to do this and I especially love being able to connect with fellow believers, like you! Thank you for your kind encouragement. God bless you!