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Scripture for the day: Proverbs 15:19 The way of the sluggard (lazy person) is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway. Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Thought for the day: We’ve all heard the old saying, haven’t we? “Ignorance is bliss.” Well, not always; not often in fact. It pays to know about our health (even when we can’t do anything about it). It’s important to know about our financial condition (unless of course you enjoy talking with obnoxious bill collectors at all hours of the day or night). I hope we understand how important it is for us to be aware of our spiritual condition in order to keep our relationship with the Lord up to date, or, as the old-timers used to say, “Keeping short accounts with the Lord.” How tragic, and almost certainly short, our lives would be if we failed to keep track of the weather, our need for food, clothing and shelter, the basic necessities of living. And how empty our lives would be if we ignored those relationships we say mean so much to us.
No, my friends, ignorance is not bliss, and never truly has been. Only through a continuous desire to learn more of Him, draw closer to Him, and be more like Him do we even begin to maintain our relationship with Him. Living in ignorance of our surroundings, and how those surroundings affect us, is to invite catastrophe in our physical lives. Living in willful ignorance of our spiritual surroundings invites a much more catastrophic situation into our eternal destinies.
For those who think they’ve heard it all and don’t really need to hear it again or learn any more, read on:
Many years ago a group of civil engineers went to Pennsylvania to inspect some dams. One of them caused great concern because it controlled the waters of several streams and small rivers. In addition, this dam sat upstream from several small villages nestled between the steep walls of a beautiful valley. Following their inspection, the engineers gathered the leaders from the villages to report their findings. They said simply, “The dam is unsafe. Your people are in danger.” The officials said, “You’re just trying to scare us. The dam is perfectly fine; we’ve heard it all before.”
The following fall the group of engineers returned to the dam only to find it in worse shape than before. Again they went to the town’s leaders to warn them. Again they got the same response. “You’re just trying to scare us. That dam has stood in place for many years with no trouble and we’re convinced it will remain for many more to come.” In the spring the engineers appeared once again and once again brought dire warnings of impending doom. Once again their cries of danger were ignored with the same unconcerned response: “We’ve heard it all before.”
Fifteen days later, a boy on a horse rode through the valley at a dead run, fear straining every inch of his face. He shouted as he entered each village, “Run for your lives! The water is coming; the dam has breached!” The people laughed and waved at him as he sped on by, certain he was only playing a boyish prank and trying to scare them. Within minutes a wall of water plunged down through the valley, wiping away whatever stood in its path. In less than 30 minutes, Johnstown Pennsylvania was in ruins and over 3,700 people had lost their lives – all because they refused to listen when the warning was given and took no action to protect themselves.
I’m not a negative type of person, always running to and fro claiming that “The sky is falling!” At the same time, the Word of God is full of examples of people who heeded the warnings given them concerning their relationship with the living God and how their reactions to those warnings saved their lives and brought them closer to Him. The Word is just as full of examples of those who failed to heed the warnings and suffered the consequences. Why do you suppose there are so many such examples? Could it be we’re supposed to learn from other people’s mistakes? As a friend of mine has reminded me: “Learn from other people’s mistakes; you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”
Now go take on your world. - Bill