He that has a low opinion of his own knowledge and powers will submit to better instruction, such a person may be informed and improved by revelation: but the proud man, conceited of his own wisdom and understanding, will undertake to correct even divine wisdom itself, and prefer his own shallow reasonings to the infallible revelations of truth and wisdom. Note, we must abase ourselves before God if we would be either truly wise or good: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians 3:19). The wisdom which worldly men esteem (policy, philosophy, oratory) is foolishness with God, Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 420.
I grin as I type, considering how downright ridiculous we must look to God, when we think we are pulling a fast one, being deviously mischievous, and believing in our own sneaky abilities to outwit, outplay, and outlast God - I borrow a phrase from the popular reality show series, Survivor.
I recall a persistent cough that nagged me for weeks on end. The coughing was a sort of hacking, and when this kind of bug comes to visit, the host family wonders, how long will these critters stick around? How can I get rid of this pestilence and be free once more, to breathe in, without feeling like coughing out, with every exhale? One good violent cough, or was it a sneeze? sent me into a spasm of pain: the mere act of breathing in and out, caused sharp stabbing pain in my ribcage, and in desperation, I contacted my chiropractor, and was able to have the out of place rib, put back where it belongs. I tell you this story to point out, that you and I can feel on top of the world, crazy like a fox smart, proud of our accomplishments and ready to take on the world, and then... space and time invaders infiltrate the compound of our being, wreaking havoc, and having us reeling in shock and surprise: how can this be? How is it that everything was running smoothly, inhale, and I was on track, exhale, and now, I am out of breath, and it hurts to even think about in through the nostrils and out through the mouth?
Go with me now, to the global guys and gals that believe, they actually truly believe, that they can outwit, outplay, and outlast God! Silly little munchkins, playing at being big boss boyz and big bossa girlz, fools they are, of the first degree.
1. Policy - those politicians are always coming up with some scheme to defraud the public they are commanded by God to serve.
2. Philosophy - how does it sound to you to have one world religion pushed down your throat, so that humanity is homogenized into an ugly mix of believing everything and anything, accepting all possibilities as viable, and denying that there is only One God the Father, One God the Son, and One God the Holy Ghost (Three in One, as spoken of and expounded in The Bible). Spiritually speaking, the universe doesn't give a damn whether or not a person's vision board or wish list is fulfilled via visualization, or naming and claiming what they want, because the universe was created to glorify God, not satisfy carnal demands - the universe answers to God, not to you and me!
3. Oratory - now dear reader, isn't it the fast talking loud large bass mouths that have so many words, I mean endless sentences that run on and on ad infinitum, that never seem to run short of something, many things, to say, about this and then that and then the other and you know, Isn't it great or terrible, blah blah blah. Are you annoyed yet, with my run on sentence? Did you wonder when it would end and did you consider ditching the reading of this blog out of irritation? If you were annoyed, and wondered when it would end, and considered ditching the reading out of irritation, then PRAISE THE LORD, you are a healthy human being intolerant of nonsense! Now imagine what God sees and hears, all the live long day!
In the paragraph that started our time together, two types of people are described:
1. A person that has a low opinion of their knowledge and powers, that willingly submits to another that can instruct them; such a person can be informed and improved, by revelation
GOD - is infallible, and his revelations are pure in truth and wisdom
2. A person that is proud and puffed up with conceit based on his own wisdom and understanding, and dares to undertake the correcting of divine wisdom, preferring his or her own shallow reasonings
There are people, and perhaps you are one of them, that attempt to negate what The Bible indicates, are rules to live by, otherwise known as commandments, as in, God commands us to live according to his will and way, and when we don't we disobey, his orders. Have you ever thought about God as Commander in Chief, Ruler of the Universe, The Almighty that rules and reigns from the heavens that sees and knows all?
There are people in our midst that refuse to be corrected, and what they seem to want most, is to corrupt those that are steadfast in their faithfulness to God, that want to honour and obey him. The devil rebelled, and in his hatred and vainglory, took with him willing participants in disobedience against their mutual Creator. Ever since their anarchy, they have acted as antichrists, encouraging the similar minded in thought, in spirit, and in deed, to join them in their debacle. If fallen angels hate God, knowing him as Supreme in all his ways, is it at all surprising, that self-deluded and self-obsessed humans, fall into the category of depraved, deranged, and debauched, too? It isn't really a stretch, or a long distance walk, away from God, and toward self-absorption, for those that think themselves too smart to be told what to do, by anyone, including the God that made them.
God sees the wise of the world as foolish; do you? Do you hear some people talk as though they are authorities on many a subject, and do you suspect, they are like bike tires, pumped with too much hot air and ready to pop, once they apply the pressure of their excessive ego laden weight? Some people, dear reader, are uncorrectable while some people, are incorruptible - which category, pray tell, do you fall, or stand under?
Job 28:12-28
But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, it is not in me: and the sea saith, it is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighted for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of find gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of the living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning and thunder: then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD; that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding
Many a person can trick themselves into believing that they are in charge of their own destiny... but ya know, they may just cough or sneeze violently once, dislocating a rib from a cage of ribs, and discover, that all the breaths they took before that, were so easy, so natural, that they never considered how good they had it, until they no longer have it, so to speak. Inhale through that nose riding on the front of your face, and out through the mouth that speaks praises to God, or curses his name, dear reader...
... Who, pray tell, made magnificent, fully functioning, you?
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