April Fools

I remember a time that I would go out of my way to come up with great April fools pranks. In grade school, they were quite silly. In college, they become a little more elaborate. Sometimes I enjoy hearing what others have done, but I have lost a lot of my desire to pull these pranks. I have seen too many of them cause great embarrassment, and some have lasting effects. I still appreciate a well thought out joke that pertains to people that I know that can take a joke, but when everyone tries to outdo the next, it starts a recipe for belittling. Now, April fools is a term used for someone that is fooled on April 1st, but the Bible talks about another type of fool, one who lacks common sense or good knowledge. Proverbs speaks of it quite often. For example, Proverbs 12:15-16, “The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” The fool doesn’t learn from others, but is consumed with their own ideas, even if they are not good. He reacts quickly to everything and lacks patience and self-control. The great difference between the two is the desire for knowledge and where they seek it. We read in Proverbs 10:23, “A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.” The true believer seeks to know God and prays for wisdom. Just as many turn to computers for answers, how much more we need to turn to God and His word. I want to close with a passage from Psalm 14:1-3, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” From creation to eternity, God gives us all we need to know. Israel failed every time they turned to false gods and didn’t acknowledge the One true God. We will not do any better by denying Him today. Humans have always tried to find ways to explain things without God... evolution, big bang, false gods, false religion, faulty science, self-sufficiency, denying God’s design for His creation, and the list goes on. Don’t be fooled. Father, You know all things and desire to give us wisdom if we ask. Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us today! Amen