"Know It All's"

Our friendly neighborhood UPS man just brought me a present from a book publisher. Looking at the cover, I can see that it has a foreword by Dr. Charles F. Stanley, an attempted depiction of Michaelangelo's Sistine chapel painting of God and man reaching for each other, and a blurb promising great things. "The 40 Day health experience that will change your life forever!"

I don't think I'll read it.

After all, I know diets. I've personally lost enough weight to equal that of a 3rd grader - at least a couple of times.

And I've seen Charles Stanley on TV. He doesn't need to lose any weight. So how would he know anything about it?

Then there's that picture. I think God's arm was bigger in the real one, and Adam's was much rougher looking.

If they had just come to me before they made all these errors. Nope. No need to read that book. Oh, but wait - didn't I just read something about people who think that way?

Proverbs 28:26 (Msg)
If you think you know it all, you're a fool for sure;
real survivors learn wisdom from others.

Oops....

Obviously, there is a danger in assuming that our own personal experience is the standard by which all truth should be measured. Just because we've had some exposure to what an author has written on, doesn't give us the ability or discernment to decide it is worthless and unworthy.

We all need to learn, to grow, to change. We all have varied experiences. Don't let your prideful tendency to value what you have experienced rob you of something that might literally change your life. I don't know whether this book will or not, until I read it.

And you won't know whether God's Word can change your life either, unless you read its Truth and apply it to your life. To place your experience over the Bible's Truth isn't only foolish, it's a sin. Don't make that mistake.

Make today one to remember. Learn more about God. Then apply that knowledge to your life.

Grace!

David

This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.