“One of my friends from our old town called last night,” Stan commented one morning.
“Everything okay with him?” I asked.
“By and large,” Stan replied, “but he was feeling a bit low and kind of foolish over some money he lost in an investment.”
“What happened?”
“You familiar with the idea of ‘The greater fool’ in the investment world?” Stan asked.
“I think so,” I replied. “Isn’t that where a person, for example, buys a stock that is going up in price, thinking that he will be able to sell it at a higher price to someone else, who is described as ‘The greater fool’?”
“That’s it in a nutshell,” Stan said. “And when the stock doesn’t continue to go up, the person who hoped to find a ‘greater fool’ turns out to be the last greater fool.”
“Is that what happened with your friend?” I asked.
“Afraid so,” Stan replied. “The best part is that it was not a whole lot of money, and my friend seems to have learned the difference between investing and speculating.”
“As well,” he continued, “our conversation was able to go in the direction of what the apostle Paul wrote about not being foolish in relation to understanding the will of God in every aspect of our lives.”
“Paul wrote about that?” I responded.
“He did,” Stan said. “Just one short sentence in his letter to the church in Ephesus that has also been made available to each of us. Paul simply wrote to not be foolish, but to understand the will of God.”
“Not be foolish, but understand,” I repeated. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“Well,” Stan replied, “it seems to me that before I can begin to understand God’s will, I have to know His will. And knowing God’s will comes from spending time in His word and listening to His voice. As I seek to understand His will, He will make it clear!”
“And if I don’t seek to understand God’s will,” I commented, “it’s kind of like choosing to be foolish.”
“I think you’re right about that, my friend,” Stan replied. “It seems to me that if that is what I choose, it’s like I’m be choosing to be a greater fool!”
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Bible verses to consider:
So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of God is. Ephesians 5:17.
For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17.
Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is good will. Proverbs 14:9.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for those you sent into my life to show me the foolishness of not accepting by faith your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you when it’s time. Thank you, too, for providing the way for me to understand your will by drawing ever closer to you in a deepening personal relationship. I confess that there have been too many times when I have been foolish in not seeking to understand your will, but have chosen to follow my will apart from you. Please help me in following every step of your lead as you show me your will in ways I will understand, accept, and embrace. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you overcome the foolishness of not having the assurance of salvation by accepting God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him for when you step into eternity? If no, why? If you do have the assurance of salvation, how are you doing in pursuing to understand God’s will for every part of your life by drawing ever closer to Him? As well as you would like? As well as God would like? If you sense changes are in order for how you seek to understand, accept, and embrace God’s will, how are those changes going to happen?
Waiting for the Train 