“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God (Psalm 14:1a).
While visiting in Bradenton Beach this week, I picked up a copy of The Islander newspaper and noticed the front page article, “State orders consolidation of island cities.” As I began to read the article which spoke about the cities of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach becoming one city with the name “Bradenton Anna Holmes,” or “BAH” for short, I began to feel as if someone was pulling my leg. Then, when I read that the mayors of the three cities were going to determine who would be mayor of the consolidated city by playing a game of “rock, paper, scissors,” I knew it had to be an April Fool’s joke. It was!
I have had many April Fool jokes played on me, and I suspect you have, too. Perhaps we have even played a few on others. Nobody like to be thought of as a fool, as someone who is easily duped or tricked. But when we look at what God has to say in His Word, we just might be surprised how much we really deserve the title of a “fool.”
For example, consider the following verses in which God considers someone a fool:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).
“He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18).
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame” (Proverbs 12:15-16).
“A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent” (Proverbs 15:5).
“A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself” (Proverbs 18:2).
“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling” (Proverbs 20:3).
“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards” (Proverbs 29:11).
The ultimate definition of a fool is found in Psalm 14:1. The person who lives as if there is no God is a fool. Notice that it doesn’t say, “The fool hath said with his mouth, There is no God.” A person can say with the mouth just the opposite, that God exists, but live like a practical atheist. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart! When our heart says there is no God, we live as though we are the center of the universe, with no regard for God or His Word. But when our heart says that there is a God, we find ourselves inclined to obey Him and to submit our lives to Him. We desire to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. We realize that we are accountable to Him. A fool is one who does just the opposite.
Yes, there are some in our society today who would call us fools for following Christ and the Bible. But I would rather be a “fool for Christ’s sake” (I Corinthians 4:10a) than the devil’s fool any day!
When Jim Elliott and some other missionaries went to Ecuador to reach a savage tribe called the “Auca” people, they were called fools by some. Ironically, Jim Elliott wrote these now famous words in his journal, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
I hope you get the opportunity to pull off a good-natured April Fools’ joke today. You may even laugh at having one pulled on you. But in the midst of the humor marked by this day, let’s remember something very important — to honor the Lord’s will and Word in our hearts. Life is too short and too serious to be lived as a fool!