Going to Jesus

Daily Thoughts

 Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:

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• Month

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• Day

  10-01 Preparing for the Truth 10-02 A Saved Sinner? 10-03 "He Will Save His People from their Sins" 10-04 The Disciples' Prayer, Part One - "Forgive us our Trespasses" 10-05 The Disciples' Prayer, Part Two - "Our Father . . . Thy Kingdom Come." 10-06 The Disciples' Prayer, Part Three - ". . . as we forgive others." 10-07 "Willing to Receive Rebuke" 10-08 "Two Secrets" 10-09 "The Bride and the Bridegroom" 10-10 "Afraid of Love" 10-11 "In the Flesh" 10-12 Inheriting the Kingdom 10-13 "Getting into Christ" 10-14 "Who is My Family?" 10-15 "Playing Both Ends of the Line" 10-16 The Holy Land 10-17 The Wise and the Foolish, Part One 10-18 The Wise and the Foolish, Part Two 10-19 "Let us Fear" 10-20 At Ease in Zion 10-21 Two Kinds of Unity 10-22 "The Least of These, My Brethren" 10-23 "As Long As I Am in the World . . ." 10-24 "Who is Right?" 10-25 The Results of Obedience 10-26 Because You Belong 10-27 Who is Lost? 10-28 The Lord's Anointed 10-29 "Nations and Denominations" 10-30 Wanderers among Denominations 10-31 Don't Be a Fool

 

Thought for Today
Oct. 17

THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH, PART ONE

The foolish in God's kingdom are among those who have chosen God over all the bad and unpleasant things of this world. Choosing God is how they were able to enter His kingdom. They are, as Jesus calls them in Matthew 25, "virgins", but they are "foolish virgins". The wise, however, are those who have chosen God over both the bad and the good things of this world. Jesus calls them "wise virgins" in that same chapter.

There is a parable that is so essential to the truth of God's kingdom that Jesus said those who failed to understand it could not rightly understand any parable that he spoke (Mark 4:13). The parable is called the Parable of the Good and Bad Soil. It is found in three places:

Matthew 13:3-9, explained in verses 18-23.

Mark 4:2-9, explained in verses 14-20.

Luke 8:4-8, explained in verses 11-15.

In those places, we learn that a significant number of foolish virgins overcome this world's antagonism toward godliness and overcome cruel persecution, choosing God over the ugly and unpleasant things this world offers. But then, we learn that they are deceived and taken away from God by a desire for the good things this world offers. These good things that lure the foolish away from God are referred to in different ways by Jesus. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus calls them simply, "riches"; in Luke, Jesus uses the phrase, "cares and riches and pleasures of this life".

Some of the good, or pleasant, things of this world are the praise of people, honors from people, physical beauty or strength, high intelligence, social status, political power, houses, property, artistic or engineering talents, and the list could go on. They are the desirable things of earth, and life is easier and more pleasant when they are a part of our lives. But the hearts of the foolish admire such things in others and trust such things in themselves instead of learning to be led by the Spirit in all things. A friend of Solomon's warned us that "favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised [by both God and godly men]" (Prov. 31:30).

Those whose hearts are taken away from godliness, because of "lusts for things" other than God and His ways enters and pollutes their sanctified hearts, may have experienced some wonderful things in their life with Christ. According to Jesus' parable, they have suffered to stay with God. They have testimonies concerning their faith, their love for God's people, and God's help for them in hard times. "Foolish virgins" are not among those who never trusted in God. They have had faith, but it has been shipwrecked on the rocks of the pleasant things in this life.

It is extremely important to know that the best of the "foolish virgins" cannot quit serving God with the saints. They have too much of the fear of God to walk away from the congregation, as some other foolish virgins do. And they have too much of the love of the world to submit themselves fully to God's Spirit. They love both the world and God, but only in a measure. Their hearts are divided, and they have become blind. They do not know they have become foolish in God's sight. Often, in fact, they feel wiser than those who are indeed wise.

John said "Love not the world, neither the things in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." God does not love His people in measure, and He will not be loved in measure. Those among His children whose hearts are divided between Him and the world will be cast out of His kingdom, and their inheritance will be divided among the wise. Pray that God will save you from becoming a foolish virgin.

The foolish choose God over only the bad things of this world. They do God's will perfectly until it conflicts with a desire in their heart for one of the world's good things. The wise choose God over all things of this world, both the bad and the good. They do His will, whatever the results may be.