Sunday, May 20, 2007

Wisdom: The Buck Stops Here

When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD.
-Proverbs 19:3

We like to pass the buck, to lay the blame on others, to find a scapegoat. Ultimately, we will lay the blame at God’s feet. If He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, then certainly He could have kept us from ruin. He could have done something and didn’t, so our sinful hearts say our self-inflicted ruin is not our fault, but His. This attitude is as old as our first parents, Adam and Eve.

The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."
Genesis 3:12

See where the blame is placed, everywhere but where is belongs. And think about your own life. When bad things happen because of our own folly and sinfulness, who do we seek out to blame? It is against the LORD, the most Holy and perfect One, Maker of heaven and earth that we in our foolishness rage against.

We all do stupid and foolish things. Often times those things we do in folly bring about harsh and devastating consequences. And the whole time God is there. He is not there ruining us. He is there with His good gifts: forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation. He has set His King on Zion, on the holy hill. No matter how our hearts rage against Him, no matter how unfairly we blame Him, He still is there, the same yesterday, today and forever. Those who take refuge in His Wisdom that is Christ are blessed.

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Psalm 2
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,
"Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."
He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
"As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."
I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Amen.
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