The World's Empty PromisesSample

True Wisdom

Romans 1:21-23 tells us that although mankind knew God, they did not honor him as God, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened or blinded. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and, even many other creatures. 

Proverbs 6:6-8 says that the lazy person should consider the ant, which is far wiser – preparing food in the summer, and storing it for the winter.

In Job 12:7-8, God tells Job to learn from the beasts and the birds and the bushes of the earth and the fish.

In Isaiah 1:3, God says that the ox always knows its owner, but His people do not know or understand their maker.

Proverbs 30:24-28 talks about four things on earth that are small, and yet are exceedingly wise:  the ants, that are not strong but are always working to store their food in the summer; the rock badgers, that are not mighty, yet make their homes in the cliffs. The locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank. You can hold a lizard in your hands, and yet it has found a place in kings’ palaces.

Animals live under the same curse we do, and which has been present since Adam and Eve sinned; and yet, they live for the purposes for which they were designed, and thus are much wiser than most people. Millions of us don’t know the God who created us, and we look everywhere else for a god that might satisfy us. The sad irony is that instead of looking to the real God, the Source of wisdom and life, many look to His created things who are only doing what He planned for them. Why not trust the real Creator?

If we confuse who we are with what we accomplish or where we have failed, we may find ourselves running down the wrong path, away from the Lord instead of toward Him. Can you identify with chasing after approval, success, achievement, self-esteem, addictions, unfaithfulness, and the list goes on…?

What is our purpose? “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)

Reflection: Do you find that you are ignoring the uncreated Creator of the universe, and instead chasing after created things?