A dear friend had the best stories. One’s about a fellow considered the smartest guy in town. Successful in business, he was enlarging his warehouse since he’d outgrown the old facilities.
He was at the point in life where it was time to “take it easy — eat, drink, and be merry.” Who could blame him? He’d worked hard and had it coming.
But one night he heard a voice! Not audible — it was louder than that! And even though he’d never heard it before, he knew who it was.
“God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” (Lk 12:20)
Don’t jump to the wrong conclusion. Jesus is all for honest work, careful management, and strategic planning. But the fellow should have had a 150-year plan! He was spiritually myopic.
Jesus’ conclusion? “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (v 21) The man needed a diversified portfolio. Everything was for time, nothing for eternity. Clever in the here-and-now, but a fool forever.
I’ve just finished a study of Solomon’s Book of Proverbs, sentence sermons on what God thinks makes sense.
No surprise, the flip-side of wisdom is there, too. No fewer than 74 times a fool is described. Here’s the point: If everybody thinks I’m clever — except God — I’m still a fool.
Recently I heard John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics at the other Oxford! He holds a PhD from Cambridge, a DSc from the University of Wales, and a DPhil from Oxford. He’s no slouch.
He said, “Some of my colleagues can look at the DNA molecule, 3.4 billion letters long, and say it was chance and the laws of nature. I say to them, ‘Tell me the origin of what you do science with — your brain or your mind.’ And they say, ‘Well, the brain is the end product of a mindless, unguided process.’
“And I smile at them and say, ‘And you trust it? Tell me honestly, if you knew that your computer was the end product of an unguided mindless process, would you trust it?’
“From every scientist, with hesitation, I’ve had the answer, ‘No, I would not.’
“And I say, ‘I see you have a problem.’”
A new year has arrived. Nobody knows what it will bring. So on your To-Do List, make sure you include the following:
1. Read God’s Book. It proves to be His word, not only by its fulfilled prophecies, but by the miraculous change it can make in you. As one prisoner said to me recently, “I don’t even recognize myself!”
2. Get to know the Author. We can only do that by meeting His Son. (Jn 14:6) Every time you check the date on the calendar, with its A.D., you’re acknowledging Him as the watershed of history.
3. Plan ahead. If you want to meet Jesus, He’s as close as a prayer, but only our sins introduce us to Him. The best truth bomb for 2025? You’re the sinner that Jesus died to save.
I’d check in with Him immediately. He writes, “I know the plans I have for you, … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer 29:11, BSB)
He wants to hear from you.
Jabe Nicholson of Starkville is grateful for the inkwells of many minds in which he dips his pen. Contact: [email protected] or uplook.tv
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
