Scholars say mankind is a product of evolution,
Citing many textbooks for their conclusion.
they say man is a descendant of the ape,
That there is no Heaven,; no pearly gate.
But God created Earth, and God created Man,
Why is this so hard for them to understand?
Scholars say mankind is a product of evolution,
And this muddled thinking has led to confusion.
Maybe man does act like a monkey sometimes,
But it’s God’s help he seeks when in a bind.
—Ellen Bailey
FOR THOUGHT: Educational degrees are desirable, but how do they contrast with understanding and wisdom? Would not both be more ideal? Have you known someone whom you thought was educated beyond his intelligence because common sense was absent?
EXCEPT THESE BONDS!
“ And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.” Acts 26:29
A tree sawn down will reveal a number of rings from bark to core. These testify to the age of the tree, and often more: its nutrient supply, damage by storms, etc. to the studied eye. Experience and accrued wisdom likewise tell the story of human life. It has been said that a person is the sum total of life experiences. However, many people spend a lifetime attempting to shortcut or circumvent the necessary experiences to arrive at a desired goal. For instance, this writer has had numerous people over the years to say, “I would give a thousand dollars to be able to play the piano as your daughter does.” The common reply is: “Cheapskate!” It cost a lot more than that over the years plus the time and practice she invested. Worthwhile things have their price.
The apostle Paul was a highly educated, zealously dedicated Jew, but far from God’s grace, will, and way. But, at the time he spoke the words of Acts 26:29 before King Agrippa, his life had been transformed 180 degrees. Just think of some of the things that had happened to him. He was shown such marvelous, heavenly things that he could not reveal. He was stricken blind on the road to Damascus; shunned by other believers; stoned and thrown in a ditch as dead; run out of various towns; in perils of life often; beaten and imprisoned. These things alone did not bring him to the spiritual zenith of life, but they did help to solidify and verify the great truths that God revealed to him as he experienced these things.
Accordingly, he could wish that all men were altogether as he, except the bonds.
The songwriter penned: “Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease while others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?” The mature, well-seasoned saint will bear in his life the marks of the Lord Jesus. Faith in the person, words, and works of our Lord is not just good preaching; it is the essence of life well lived, and rewardable at the end of the way! An interesting and thought provoking question is: do you recoil or welcome Paul’s wishes for you?
FOR THOUGHT A good question is: How have you come to appreciate the great truths of God in your life? Have there been disappointments, heartaches, life-threatening situations that made the promises and hope real and solid in your life? There is no shortcut for what these things bring in the journey of life.