Proverbs 18:1-2 

¹An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels. ²Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

Decision

         Every single day, we make decision. Whatever we decide to do today will certainly affect our future. We should pray for sound judgment. How?

         We seek guidance on the Holy Spirit and gladly explore our privilege as children of God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. He reveals which practical step we take for glorious adventure with Christ. He helps us personalize smartly what God reveals to glorify Christ Jesus.

         Christ our Lord declared in John16:13-14, ¹³The Spirit of truth will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

         Have you internalized it? We were condemned for eternal torture. But by faith, Christ redeemed us and offers opportunity to be in heaven forever with him. It’s by faith we accept his offer. We are heaven bound. Therefore, we pray that the Lord guides us prepare for our eternal dwelling.

         And to bring glory to Jesus Christ should be our pursuit in life always.

1.  Pursuit

     ¹An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

         Our pursuit is to prioritize the Lord. We sing, “I am a friend of God.” As his friend, personal desire is secondary to God’s desire. We pray for sound judgment and wisdom from God to avoid disastrous decision.

          So, how do we know that we received wisdom from God? We feel confident that the Lord brings out the best situation in our circumstance. The Holy Spirit performs through us. He produces peaceful gladness in us. No matter what situation we face, he inspires us to praise and thank God.

         Certainly, wonderful adventure with Christ won’t keep us silent. Joy from God compels us to gratefully testify like King David in Psalm 145:1-3.

¹I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.
²Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. ³Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

Ebenezer Scrooge

         As Christian, we rejoice always as oppose to coldhearted Scrooge.

         You may have watched the story of Ebenezer Scrooge? Scrooge is the main character of 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Scrooge is pictured as an old man who always opposed to lively and happy activities like Christmas. Christmas is time of cheerful giving, but the stingy miser coldhearted Scrooge never appreciated spending generously.

Scrooge was selfish. People pursuing selfish gains are like Scrooge. They victimize even their friends. They also have quarrelsome attitudes.

It warns in Galatians 5:19-21, ¹⁹The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ saved us from sin and empowers us to avoid sinful acts. Praise God for his sacrificial crucifixion. God freed from selfishness and not to behave like scrooges. There will always be Scrooges around us. Surely, Scrooges need forgiveness from God also. So, we pray for them.

         When the Holy Spirit is active in us, we gladly praise God. Let us reflect on Luke 10:21, ²¹At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

         The Holy Spirit produces joy praising God. We don’t force ourselves praising God. When the Holy Spirit inspires us, we acknowledge that God transformed us to appreciate him. So, God is pleased with us. Formerly, we ignore God but when by faith we trusted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we praise and that him and talk about his love and grace with pleasure.

2.  Pleasure

     ²Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

         It is foolishness to delight on airing personal opinions that the Lord never instructed us to speak about. In comparison, smart people ignore senseless arguments. We testify of our trust in Christ as Lord and Savior. So, we follow Christ to have practical proof when we testify for his love for us. We pay attention when we hear great ideas that help us prioritize the Lord. An we ask God to inspire us and practically apply them in our life.

         God has arranged series of events to practice our faith. But we don’t always appreciate our circumstances. Let’s learn from King David. Before he was crowned as king of Israel, David never complained of bad situation. When King Saul tried to kill him, David and his men had limited supplies of food. So, he sent some of his men to politely ask favor from Nabal.

         Together, let’s reflect on what it narrated in 1 Samuel 25:10-13, ¹⁰Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. ¹¹Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?” ¹²David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word. ¹³David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About 400 men went up with David, while 200 stayed with the supplies.

         David never appreciated running away but King Saul wanted to kill him. It was tough because they cannot work for livelihood. David sought help from Nabal a descendant of Caleb from the tribe of Judah. But Nabal had no care of anybody, even David who was also a descendant of Judah.

         Actually, David and his men kept safe the shepherds of Nabal in the field. Yet Nabal ignored David. What Nabal did, a servant told Abigail, the wife of Nabal. Abigail quickly met David and said in 1 Samuel 25:25, 32-34, ²⁵Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him…  ³²David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. ³³May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. ³⁴Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”

Certainly, the shepherds reported to Nabal that David and his men were like wall around them the whole time they were out in the fields. When the shepherds were herding the sheep of Nabal near the camp of David, nothing was missing. All were secured. Nabal was insensibly ungrateful.

Like Nabal, foolish individuals are very quick to air personal opinions indiscreetly. Like Nabal, a fool has no pleasure in listening to the Lord.

May the Lord grant us wisdom and understanding and delight reading the word of God and explore its significance in our life. May the Lord fill us with praise and thank to testify of his wonderful grace and love. Amen!

><))’. ><))’> tmec\ltsii\2026 <‘((>< <‘((><