"A Little Foolishness"

   "As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor. A wise person chooses the right road: a fool takes the wrong one. You can identify fools by the way they walk down the street! If your boss is angry at you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes." (Ecclesiastes 10:1-4 NLT)

  "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." (PSALMS 103:1-5 KJV)

 This little portion that starts chapter 10, appears to be a slight continuation of that last section of chapter 9, which was verses 13-18, tagged: "Wisdom and Foolishness", in my KJV Bible, and is tagged: "Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly", in my NLT Bible. Either or, neither one of them have any tag above the beginning of this chapter 10; so, they must be set as a continuation, in one way or another. 

 Hopefully you are going to start this year out right! Whoever you are, who somehow keep tolerating my strange way of thinking! I will blame it on the drugs and the strange way that I grew up; but that would just be wrong to even associate those past conditions, because I was changed, made New; given a whole new reason to live and die on this earth! 

 Yes, I absolutely am aware that my mind wanders off the page from time to time; but that is truly the way I feel God has made me. I still remember, (exactly,) the first time that I ran away from home. I was five years old. I filled my pockets with penny's and set out on my tricycle, before my parents were awake; then, began my five- or six-hour journey. As I road down the sidewalk, a man was spraying the ice or dew off of his windshield; and as I road past him, he said, "An early bird out to get a worm," and I replied, "Yes! I'm a bird!" 

 There are certain things that make perfect sense, and then there are things that might boggle the mind; but God's Word is never-ending and ministers to everyone, sometimes in bits and pieces, and sometimes in giant waves of amotion, filled with desperation and remorse. But one thing is sure: God will always magnify His Word above His name...

"I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou will revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." (PSALMS 138 KJV)  

"The Selah" - TO

 "Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:18 KJV)

  "For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth be their false teaching. And they do it only for money." (Titus 1:10-11 NLT)

  Nothing that we can do cannot be forgiven; everything we mess up, can be turned into something that is put back together! If you have walked away from God, know, you can always, without a doubt, walk back to Him, and He will except you with His arms opened wide and smother you in His loving arms! It really doesn't matter how hard you have fallen; if you still have breath in your lungs, there is still hope! 

 Now then, about this word, "Selah," and what some think it might mean: "to lift up, and Exalt," is one that is put out there, as we stop and give praise to God, between the portion of Scriptures; another is, "the end, or a pause," as we might stop to think between the lines, what it was that we have just read. Here is a little thought, if it might be something to think about: It is the beginning of something new and worth your time to think about, like; PSALM 3:2: "Selah. O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise against me!" or PSALM 46:6: "Selah. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

 The main thing that is apparent is that makes us pause to consider that He is the answer to all of our lives; whatever we are dealing with, and no matter how bad things might appear, He is the ANSWER for all of life's issues and circumstances: Period...

""Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father."" (John 15:5-8 NLT)  

"The Selah"

 "Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but on sinner destroyeth much good." (Ecclesiastes 9:18 KJV)

  "You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. They staggered back under God's command: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death. Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, "I am terrified and trembling." No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God's firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel. Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the one who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!" (Hebrews 1218-25 NLT)

 Sorry for taking up too much of your time, but this is rather important! Looking up the meaning of this word, "Selah," it is obviously clear that nobody has a clue what it might actually means; the only real clue to the meaning, is that it must be a musical notation, indicating a pause or break in the music or singing. 

 This word, "Selah," is shown 74 times in the Old Testament: 71 times in the Psalms, and 3 times in the Book of Habakkuk. Personally, if it is true that it must be a musical notation, then in my humble opinion, it is actually meant to take out a musical note, causing the person singing or reading, to, "Take Note!" 

 Anywho, yesterday I heard an interesting message from 'To Every Man an Answer,' as it was a recorded conversation with Pastor Chuck and Pastor Mike answering a man's question about someone losing their salvation, (or something in that arena.) I didn't hear the question, but I heard the answers, which were very good and caused me to take notice. 

 As it was, Pastor Chuck was sharing about a man that was once quite powerful in being an evangelist, almost in the ranks of the late Billy Graham. But he turned away from God and even wrote a book about his awakening that there is no God, and that the Bible is just made-up stories and fables. 

 This reflected the one who turned away, and quit believing; but then, Pastor Mike shared another little bit of a story, one from the Bible: One from the Master, which deals with those who do believe, but who do not care to obey the Master...

""Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. You must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." Peter asked, "Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?" And the Lord replied, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished."" (Luke 12:39-47 NLT)  

"The Interlude" - Again

 "The words of wise men are heard in quite more than the cry of him the ruleth among fools." (Ecclesiastes 9:17 KJV)

  ""Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. I will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction."" (Isaiah 42:1-4 NLT)

 Before I go any further, I will try and express the importance of this word, "Interlude," with a slightly different point of view. First of all, God is watching you, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that He sees our every move, our thoughts, our intensions, and He can even see the dreams that we dream; some of which, are all together ungodly.  

 Secondly, He loves us! It is really hard for us to understand why, since we are so easily turning away from Him, by the silly and stupid things that we do or think or say; but, nevertheless, He loves us anyway, because He is the One who created us! Maybe that doesn't prove anything to some; but to the God that gave life to you, He, is also the God who will judge the life you lived!

 Changing the subject, for a moment, I was thinking about this Scripture which is obviously speaking about Jesus Christ and His ministry here on earth. Specifically, the point about Him not raising His voice in public. I can think of a few times that He did raise His voice; one in particular was as He was chasing out the Moneychangers from the Temple, saying, 'You have made my Father's house a den of thieves!' 

 There is another that comes to mind, as He was grieving over Jerusalem, I believe He cried out, "O Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!'"" (Matthew 23:37-39 NLT)

 And then, we know for sure that He cried out on the cross, shouting out: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" (Matthew 27:46 NLT) Some teach that this shows the God had to turn His back on Jesus, His one and only Son, because He was at the point in which He had taken on all the sins of the world. That may be correct, as He was meant to do what the Father asked, even though it was something that would tear them apart; or is that what actually had taken place? 

 I have also heard some say that God cannot look upon evil, because He is so Holy that He must not see that kind of stuff; but based upon the 6th chapter of Genesis, as well as many other Scriptures, He sees everything, the worst of the worst, there is nothing that mankind can hide from His view, because He sees absolutely everything that we do! 

 Well then, what caused Jesus to say, or shall we say, cry out, what He did? It was an Interlude, to get those who are paying attention to see the truth...

"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, "Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!" (PSALM 22:1-8 NLT)

  

  

"The Interlude"

 "The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools." (Ecclesiastes 9:17 KJV)

  "If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boosting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind if wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:13-18 NLT)

 Call it a little pause, where you have a chance to ponder what was being said, applying what is most important to your life, and trying to understand the heart of God. In the King James, this would be shown as, "Selah", as in Psalms 66 it is used to get the reader to think about what was said, and picture it as if it were happening. Such as verse 4 says, "All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah." This pause is meant to have to reader envision what that might look like, and to experience a little glimpse of what has been said. 

 In several other translations, it is called, "Interlude", which, although very similar in nature, where one might mean to pause and reflect, interlude is more of an event between segments of a theme or event, much like an intermission. In the case of what this might mean to someone who is wanting to know what is being said, it is more like what you might think about between portions of a story. Like, if they stopped the show, to allow people to use the facilities or get refreshment, which also allows those interested to think about what was just performed, wondering what might be coming next. 

 In essence, this is the meaning of Solomon's point of the words of wise men being heard in quite; because in quite there comes an opportunity to understand, to discern, to harken, and to obey! Sometimes it really counts to just sit and listen as you pray and petition God, considering what He is wanting, focusing less upon your wants and needs. 

 With that, I will share that which is pressing hard upon my heart. My current position with my work has been lacking for several months; and I fear that it is either one of two things: First of which is my desire to retire from working with Termites and take an opportunity to take my wife out on the road, making our story known and trying to motivate couples to stay together, no matter what. 

 Secondly, there is this matter of dealt. I have no desire to rollover and suffer whatever might happen if I turn away from being responsible, in paying off my debt; but I do also believe that with God's help and another year or so of work, I could get this debt taken care of and paid off: Lord willing! 

 Therefore, I have laid out a fleece before the Lord, that if things have changed for the better by the middle of this month, I will hold off retirement, (66 and 8 months,) until I am 68, making this business the best that I possibly can; training someone to take over and continue it serving others; just as I have always tried to do. 

 I know it might sound strange, but I do believe that my wife is still with us for a reason, and I am very sure that our life's situation can minister to others, especially in our age group. The Baby Boomers are in that stage; born in the years of 1946 to 1964, we are quickly leaving this earth; more and more every day! 

 Anywho, that's my Interlude; my pause to reflect what has been and what might be to come! By the way, James has some very good experience in this thing called, "jealousy," as he grew up with Jesus, jealous of the attention He received, the work He performed during His ministry, and the unbelief he had against the person He claimed to be. Wow, what a change the cross and resurrection made upon his life!

 What a change it should also make in ours...

"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent." So where does that leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NLT)