It is April Fool’s Day. I thought about being a fool and I remembered a quote from a young missionary named Jim Elliot who wrote this in 1949…
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Shortly after writing that statement, Jim Elliot and four missionary friends had been working to reach the Huaoriani Indians of Ecuador. They finally made contact with the tribe and they saw this as an opportunity to share this Jesus of the Bible with them. Before they could, the tribesmen suddenly attacked and killed all five men. Jim Elliot believed what he wrote in his journal that day and he lived it until his last day on this earth. Jesus talked about who was a fool in a story he told people one day and was recorded in the Gospel of Luke. In the story, a man had been very successful and wealthy. He had so much that he spent time and treasure building more storage space for all he was producing and gathering. He sat back and said that he had it all and now he was free to party and just enjoy it all. But the catch to all of this was this that Jesus said “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” What Jesus was making sure that we understood and Elliot lived this out, is that we can give all we have…because you can’t keep it forever. Someone else will have it all…you will take nothing with you when you die. But to have that saving relationship with God…we are promised that no one or no thing can ever take that from us. And that is what we are being offered…something that we cannot lose and that we will keep for all eternity. April Fool’s Day has a fun side to it…just don’t be the fool. Everything here you cannot keep and you will lose…but that gift of love and forgiveness and eternal life is yours and mine if we want it. And on this…well God is not fooling! Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Luke 12:20-21 NLT “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ (21) “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Shortly after writing that statement, Jim Elliot and four missionary friends had been working to reach the Huaoriani Indians of Ecuador. They finally made contact with the tribe and they saw this as an opportunity to share this Jesus of the Bible with them. Before they could, the tribesmen suddenly attacked and killed all five men. Jim Elliot believed what he wrote in his journal that day and he lived it until his last day on this earth. Jesus talked about who was a fool in a story he told people one day and was recorded in the Gospel of Luke. In the story, a man had been very successful and wealthy. He had so much that he spent time and treasure building more storage space for all he was producing and gathering. He sat back and said that he had it all and now he was free to party and just enjoy it all. But the catch to all of this was this that Jesus said “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” What Jesus was making sure that we understood and Elliot lived this out, is that we can give all we have…because you can’t keep it forever. Someone else will have it all…you will take nothing with you when you die. But to have that saving relationship with God…we are promised that no one or no thing can ever take that from us. And that is what we are being offered…something that we cannot lose and that we will keep for all eternity. April Fool’s Day has a fun side to it…just don’t be the fool. Everything here you cannot keep and you will lose…but that gift of love and forgiveness and eternal life is yours and mine if we want it. And on this…well God is not fooling! Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Luke 12:20-21 NLT “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ (21) “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ