If it can be verified, we dont need faith
Faith is for that which lies on the other side of reason. Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys. (Madeleine LEngle)
Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.
ECCLESIASTES 5:1-3 NASB
Solomon peppered the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes with the word fool. Everyone knows what a fool is and today we dont hear the word used very much. Instead we hear words like stupid, ignorant, dumb, and phrases like the lights are on but nobody is home, their elevator doesnt go all the way to the top, and their cheese has slid off their cracker. I dont use the word fool very often, probably because it reminds me of myself. Solomon often referred to the fool as someone who talked a lot, and said very little. One of the hardest of my character defects to get a rein on has been my tongue. When I was lost in sin it flapped all the time. When I got saved and had a life changing experience with God my tongue still flapped. The only thing that changed was the direction of my speech; the many words were still there. When I relapsed back into the grips of alcoholism my tongue still flapped, but now it went both ways. I can recall sitting in a bar stoned out of my mind, and preaching. That falls under the classification of a genuine fool. Later on as my alcoholism flourished I began to use Methamphetamine. This drug allowed the fool inside of me to come alive and take control. My mind would run in circles and my tongue would flap endlessly for days and nights. As I allowed this lifestyle to run rampant fueled by my self-will, I eventually ran out of words. I even ran out of cohesive thoughts. Nothing made any sense and my mind seemed like it contained a spiritual void that was being sucked into a black hole in my spirit. The very essence of my life, my spirit, was being drawn away. All of my many words were narrowed down to three, and they were, help me God. I had nowhere else to turn; no human power could have relieved my self-afflicted state of existence. What is amazing is that as soon as I turned to God the spiritual void and vacuum in my life was gone. A tiny spark of Life that came from my knowledge of God began to grow. I soon learned while in treatment for my addictions that if I added fuel to that spark, a fire would start burning. I added more fuel by reading daily the Word of God. Other believers fanned the flames by encouraging me, and now a fire has been burning for over eight years, and I have not had to use or drink. Today I must give the glory to God, because God was there when I cried out of desperation those three honest words for help. It wasnt the many words of a fool that brought about change, but the few words of a hurting man. Today I know that God has done for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.
BILL W. .A.A. 12X12 page 95
Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.
ECCLESIASTES 5:1-3 NASB
Solomon peppered the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes with the word fool. Everyone knows what a fool is and today we dont hear the word used very much. Instead we hear words like stupid, ignorant, dumb, and phrases like the lights are on but nobody is home, their elevator doesnt go all the way to the top, and their cheese has slid off their cracker. I dont use the word fool very often, probably because it reminds me of myself. Solomon often referred to the fool as someone who talked a lot, and said very little. One of the hardest of my character defects to get a rein on has been my tongue. When I was lost in sin it flapped all the time. When I got saved and had a life changing experience with God my tongue still flapped. The only thing that changed was the direction of my speech; the many words were still there. When I relapsed back into the grips of alcoholism my tongue still flapped, but now it went both ways. I can recall sitting in a bar stoned out of my mind, and preaching. That falls under the classification of a genuine fool. Later on as my alcoholism flourished I began to use Methamphetamine. This drug allowed the fool inside of me to come alive and take control. My mind would run in circles and my tongue would flap endlessly for days and nights. As I allowed this lifestyle to run rampant fueled by my self-will, I eventually ran out of words. I even ran out of cohesive thoughts. Nothing made any sense and my mind seemed like it contained a spiritual void that was being sucked into a black hole in my spirit. The very essence of my life, my spirit, was being drawn away. All of my many words were narrowed down to three, and they were, help me God. I had nowhere else to turn; no human power could have relieved my self-afflicted state of existence. What is amazing is that as soon as I turned to God the spiritual void and vacuum in my life was gone. A tiny spark of Life that came from my knowledge of God began to grow. I soon learned while in treatment for my addictions that if I added fuel to that spark, a fire would start burning. I added more fuel by reading daily the Word of God. Other believers fanned the flames by encouraging me, and now a fire has been burning for over eight years, and I have not had to use or drink. Today I must give the glory to God, because God was there when I cried out of desperation those three honest words for help. It wasnt the many words of a fool that brought about change, but the few words of a hurting man. Today I know that God has done for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
Learning daily to spot, admit, and correct these flaws is the essence of character-building and good living. An honest regret for harms done, a genuine gratitude for blessings received, and a willingness to try for better things tomorrow will be the permanent assets we shall seek.
BILL W. .A.A. 12X12 page 95
