For What It's Worth...: Gleanings from 88 Years of Living

By E. J. Bradshaw

My, how things have changed! Experience glimpses into the past from the memories of a Baptist preacher who continues his mission of joyfully serving Jesus each day. Read of life incidents he has tied with his understanding of the Scriptures that have served to guide him through everyday living for eighty-eight years.

From working in the cotton fields in northern Louisiana during the Great Depression to maneuvering through the age of computers and cell phones, experience the life lessons E.J. has learned along the way. E.J. took to heart the importance of every experience he encountered throughout his eventful life, from the value of hard work to the importance of not only making friends but being a friend as well.

Journey along with E.J. as he fulfills his lifelong passion of making sure every person he meets, from the waitress in the restaurant to the person in the airport, has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As you read this book, you will be encouraged to follow his example in getting up each morning and asking God to make you aware of divine appointments. You too may want to determine not to let anything or anyone rob you of your joy in the Lord!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512723625

E. J. Bradshaw

Bro. E.J. Bradshaw, Sr. is the director of missions for the Vernon Baptist Association and former contributor to the “Pastor’s Corner” for the Leesville Daily Leader. He was saved on a Thursday afternoon, the fourth week of July 1937, baptized at First Baptist Church, Archibald, and licensed and ordained to the ministry at First Baptist Church, Sterlington. He has pastored churches in Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico; served as consultant in the evangelism division of the Home Mission Board/North American Mission Board; and served on the executive board of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico and the Louisiana Baptist Convention. Bro. Brad, as he is affectionately called, and Ms. Bobbie were married for fifty-nine years, three months, sixteen days, and a little over four hours! Their three sons are Julius Jr., Jerome, and David Lee Bradshaw.

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For What It’s Worth…

Gleanings From 88 Years of Living

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E. J. Bradshaw

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Copyright © 2016 E. J. Bradshaw.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2363-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2364-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-2362-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015920532

WestBow Press rev. date: 3/9/2016

Table of Contents

Christian Growth

Consider Reaching for the Best

Let’s Talk About Self Control

Let’s Talk About Right or Wrong

Let’s Talk About Our Conscience

Let’s Talk About Personal Growth

Let’s Talk About Fools

Let’s Talk About Reading the Bible Each Day

Let’s Talk About Acceptable Worship

Let’s Talk About Your Church

Consider A Minister’s Task of Sermon Preparation

Consider Sowing and Reaping

Let’s Think About the Definition of Success

Are You Locked Up on Top Dead Center?

How is Your Spiritual Appetite?

Consider These Additions to Your Christian Faith

Let’s Remember the Sabbath Day

Let’s Consider the Biblical Warning Against Too Much Pride

Let’s Consider the Sanctity of All Human Life

Let’s Consider Respecting Ourselves

Consider the Joy of Abiding in Christ

Consider Reading the Fine Print

Consider Idols of the Heart

Consider Being Politically and BIBLICALLY Correct

Consider the Divine OUGHTNESS for Christian Living

Are You Being a Christian Role Model?

Civic

Let’s Talk About Our Civic Responsibility

Consider America’s Greatest Need - One Man’s Opinion

Let’s Talk About Our Prejudices

Encouragement

Let’s Talk About Mind Altering Drugs

Let’s Talk About Aging

Consider the Changing Seasons

Consider the Wisdom of the 23rd Psalm

Consider a Wonderful Discovery

Consider How to Overcome Boredom

Consider How to Survive the Storms in Life

Think About Coping with Depression

Consider What You’re Worth

Consider an Unfinished Life

Consider the Greatest Computer

Consider the Disappointment to Others When We Fail to Do Our Best

Let’s Consider These Overcomers!

Let’s Consider a Preacher’s Confession

Let’s Keep Trying!

Consider A Review of the Past

Consider Letting God Handle the Big Stuff

Consider Making Memories

Family

Consider the Home

Let’s Talk About Fathers

Consider a Mother’s True Worth

Promises for Fathers to Consider

Consider the Tragedy of an Undisciplined Life

Look for Beauty in the Faces of Little Children

Consider the Life and Legend of the Peach Tree by the Back Door

Consider A Tribute to Military Spouses

Consider Some Do’s and Don’ts for Fathers

Let’s Consider This Tribute to All Mothers

Let’s Consider the Joy and Blessing of Family

Consider Your Responsibilities as a Father

Let Me Share a Special Memory

Consider the Expert Parent

Forgiveness

Consider the Practice of Forgiving Others

Consider Forgiving Yourself

Consider the Stink of Arguing

God’s Promises

Consider the Promises of God

Consider God’s Promises to Answer Prayer

Consider This Precious Promise

Consider the Last Promise Jesus Made

Holidays

Consider New Year Resolutions

A New Year’s Resolution Update!

Consider Our New Year’s Resolutions

Consider Martin Luther King Day .

Let’s Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Let’s Consider Palm Sunday

Let’s Consider the True Meaning of Easter

Let’s Talk About Easter

Let’s Celebrate Easter

Let’s Visit Calvary Again

Let’s Celebrate Mothers!

Let’s Consider Memorial Day

Memories on Memorial Day

A Memorial Thank You and A Promise

Consider Celebrating the Fourth of July

Let’s Celebrate Independence Day

Let’s Talk About Labor Day

Consider All Who Labor

Consider a Debt We All Owe

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Consider Being Thankful!

Let’s Consider Giving Thanks

Consider Counting Your Blessings

Let’s Celebrate Christmas

Consider the Meaning of Christmas

Christmas Is a Season for Giving

Let’s Consider History’s Most Significant Single Day

Consider Christmas Peace

Consider the Joy of the Christmas Story

Once Again, Let’s Look at Christmas Thru the Eyes of God

Consider the Christmas Story

Let’s Take a Look at Ourselves

Life Lessons

Talking about Lessons to Learn

Consider Settling Up Time

Consider Moving Time

Consider Taking Care of Business

Beware of Shortcuts

Beware of Shortcuts - The Rest of the Story

Consider the Good Old Days

Let’s Talk About Self Knowledge

Let’s Talk About Procrastination

Consider How Old Activities Are Now Tiring Work!

Let’s Talk About Change

Let’s Talk About the Value of Past Experiences

Consider Life at the Proverbial Crossroads

Beware of Little Eyes Watching You!

Consider Caution in Reliance on First Impressions

Consider Our Own Personal ER Room

Consider the Long Range Cost of Strict Adherence to Tradition

Consider the Importance of Orderliness

Consider Learning From Mistakes

Consider Developing the Virtue of Being Dependable

Let’s Consider, Are You Flirting With Disaster?

Let’s Talk About Coping with Pain

I Wish I Had ………

Consider Gnatty Problems

Consider Learning From Others

Remembering When Rationing Coupons Were Necessary

Let’s Consider Controlling Our Impatience

Consider a Response to a Difference of Opinions

Consider the Consequences of Our Choices

Consider Daylight Saving Time

Consider Friends That Last

Consider Making Some Overdue Apologies

Consider Casting Your Bread Upon the Waters

Our Relationship With God

Consider the Danger of Self Deceit

Let’s Consider Our Personal Prayer Life

Is God Bothering You?

After Being Forgiven for a Particular Sin, Then What?

Consider the Question, What Kind of Life Am I Building?

Consider Sin

Consider the Danger of a Do It Yourself Religion

Let’s Consider the Question Why Go to Church?

Consider Learning to Pray

Let’s Talk About Fear

Let’s Consider the Cost of Following Jesus

Let’s Consider the Blessing of Daily Fellowship with the Heavenly Father

Patriotism

Let’s Talk About America and Americans

Consider the Next Four Years

Consider Our Real Need

Consider the Issues Facing Americans

Consider the Importance of This Year’s Election

Respect For Others

Don’t You Draw Me Ugly!

Consider Living in Harmony with Others

Consider the Sanctity of Human Life

Consider the Homeless

Consider Neighbor Relationships

Consider Conditions in the Work Place

Consider Front Porch Fellowship

Consider More Memories From the Front Porch

Consider the Value of Confession

Consider the Value of Team Work

Consider Our Stewardship of God’s Earth

A Tribute to Friends

Consider Our Debt to Fellow Church Members and Others

Salvation

Let’s Talk About Seeking and Finding

Let’s Talk About Hell

Let’s Talk About God’s Love

Let’s Talk About Being Born Again

Consider the Tragedy of a Mean Spirit

Consider Making Christ Lord of Your Life

Let’s Examine the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Consider the Greatness of Our God

Consider What It Means to be Lost

Christians Are To Be Holy

Let’s Consider the Point Ration Book

Consider Making the Call

Let’s Talk About a Heart Transplant

Consider the Believer’s Secure Future

Consider Praising God

Signs Of The Times

Consider Signs of the Times

Consider That the End is Not Yet

Let’s Consider the Violence Prevalent in America

Let’s Talk About Junk – Food & Entertainment

Consider These Opinions About Freedom

Let’s Consider America’s Condition

Speech

Choose Words Carefully

Let’s Talk About Too Much Talk

Consider the Foolishness of Profanity and Vulgar Speech

Stewardship

Consider What the Bible Has to Say About Money

Consider What the Bible Says about Money (Continued)

Let’s Talk About Entitlement

Consider Making Some Last Minute Tax Exempt Gifts

Our Witness

Let’s Talk About Our Young People

Consider Witnessing for Jesus

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Act Like it!

Consider Adding to Your List of School Supplies

Consider A Proper Spiritual Dress Code

Consider Light or Total Darkness

Here’s My Story!

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Dedication

I dedicate these gleanings to the memory of my dear wife, Ms. Bobbie, who, for 59 years, three months, 16 days, and a little over four hours, was such an integral part of my life and work. I could not have searched the world over and found her equal. She was a great mother to our three sons, an excellent keeper of our home, and she made sure my clothes were always clean, starched and ironed. My shoes were always spit shined. She would inspect my appearance from head to toe before I appeared in public. Her yeast rolls and other specialties kept us well fed, and many guests were welcomed to her table.

Ms. Bobbie supported my ministry. She prayed with me and for me. When she thought I was wrong, she told me. She loved the congregations that we served and was loved by all. She practiced keeping a low profile and gossip stopped with her. She had several spiritual gifts, which included the love of working with children and ministering to older people. Each Sunday she tried to sit with a different widow or elderly lady.

I’m a better person for having the privilege of sharing my life with her. I’ll always love her. My memories of her brighten each of my days.

Thank you, God, for blessing me with Bobbie for my wife!

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Foreword

How many times has it been said, You should write that down. E. J. Bradshaw has heard that statement said to him many times. His relational manner, and what I have called down-to-earth way of expressing himself, are what has prompted my wife and me to say this to Bro. Brad many times. His vast knowledge and experiences qualify him to be one of those that actually do write that down.

Much has been said about trying to herd cat, but Bro. Brad has discovered a way to actually accomplish that task. He does not herd, rather he leads by example. People just tend to follow his lead. His wit is just natural and spontaneous as he talks.

He doesn’t go on and on…he’s to the point, and with a slight grin on his face after he makes each statement, along with eye to eye contact, you know he is speaking directly to you.

As you read Bro. Brad’s writings, you will learn and grow in your walk through life, as he expresses his thoughts on everyday issues of life.

Gary & Elaine Mitchell

Acknowledgements

In January 2010, a dear friend, Rodney Tilley, asked if I could spell him for a while in writing a Pastor’s Corner article for our local Sunday morning newspaper. That was just the encouragement I needed to begin recording some of the gleanings tucked away in my memories from more than eighty years of living. Each week I have written my article in long hand; then, my multi-talented Ministry Assistant for the Vernon Baptist Association, Lynda Price, would type, edit, and record those memories. Without her assistance and encouragement, those bits and pieces of history would have been lost in the sea of forgetfulness.

Many friends encouraged me to publish the memoirs in a book. Thanks to Rev. and Mrs. Gary Mitchell and the many others who always read the corner and asked for copies.

Later on, Belinda Edwards, counselor in our office, assisted in the editing process. She even turned thumbs down on some articles like Graffiti on God’s Temple Walls. As plans for publication advanced, Lynda’s husband, Clyde, and daughter, Darla, joined the editing team. Their son, Duane, provided the technical support to prepare the articles for submission to the publisher. Glenda McInnis, Linda Glaspie, and Elaine Lewis grouped the articles into categories. A special thanks to Eugene Rogers who came to my home and provided the photo shoot for this book. In final processing, Sam White edited the pictures to be included with the copy, Jody Moore retyped all the Scripture references, and Donna Adams provided the final editing. Without the tireless efforts of these individuals, you would not be reading these pages. My undying gratitude is hereby expressed to each one of them.

My love and gratitude go to my parents, Ernest and Oretus Bradshaw, who gave me birth in the flesh and a loving Christian home. They enabled my brother, W. A., and me to weather the Great Depression without missing a meal. Dad led me to faith in Jesus Christ. Their Christian commitment, character, reputation and work ethics furnished us with firm foundations upon which to build our lives, ministries, and families.

Through the years, W. A. and I have been more than brothers. We are best friends. He has served as worship leader and in other capacities for churches in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Kansas and New Mexico. He was New Mexico’s Director of Music Ministry and the College and University Student Ministries. We have prayed for each other and leaned upon each other for counsel and advice. I owe much to him and his wife Shirley. We still talk by phone at least once every day.

I must pay tribute to my dear Bobbie with whom I shared fifty nine years, three months and sixteen days of the nearly eighty-seven years of my life. We were high school sweethearts and were separated only once during the latter half of World War II. Trying to do my part in winning the way, I served as a brakeman on the railroad steam locomotives. As she prepared for a career in nursing, Bobbie lived with an aunt. The end of the war and the nation’s transition to a peace-time economy made it necessary for each of us to return to our country homes, and on February 3rd, 1946, we were married.

Our first child, Julius Jr., was born in April of 1948. Jerome blessed us with his presence in August of 1952, and David became our third son in June of 1956. They are blessings to my life. During this period, I preached on Sundays while I earned the equivalent of a high school education in night school. My lovely wife and our boys sacrificed much for me to enter the ministry in 1952 as a bi-vocational pastor while also working and going to school. I graduated from college in 1958, and we moved to Fort Worth to attend seminary. During the six years of attending college and seminary, I drove a school bus for a while and sold cars for Chevrolet dealers. In 1959, I became a full time pastor, and we were supported by salaries from the churches I served in Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Montana.

In 1964, God moved us from Texas to New Mexico where I served for 28 years. In 1992, we felt God’s call back to Louisiana where I am still busy serving as the Director of Missions for the Vernon Baptist Association. This book shares with its readers gleanings from my 87 years of living. It is my prayer that these messages will be blessings to you.

Christian Growth

For What It’s Worth, Consider Reaching for the Best

Bragging to his buddy about Daddy’s attributes and abilities, the little boy said, My daddy can climb any mountain, swim the English Channel, beat anyone playing golf. There is not anything my dad can’t do! What does your daddy do? Mostly he just carries out the garbage.

There is nothing wrong with carrying out the garbage; in fact, it must be done. The problem arises when that’s all that one does. My professor in college told us, The good is always the biggest competition of the best, and when you’re average, you’re as close to the bottom as you are the top.

In his prayer for the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul prayed, You may approve things that are excellent (Philippians 1:10 NKJV). We should carefully examine each opportunity for service and each task to be performed, and we should choose to give time and effort to the best. Lesser things need to be done, but priority should be given to the best. In the performance of daily tasks, we should never be satisfied with less than our best. The human tendency is to just get by. If that’s your attitude, SHAME!

In your character development, don’t settle for just being good—go for excellence! On the job, whatever it might be, be the best! Why?

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23–24 NKJV). God deserves your best. What you are is a gift from God—whatever you become is your gift to God.

The garbage must be taken out—the little, seemingly insignificant, tasks must be performed. Excellence is doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well.

Do it for others. Someone is watching you—you are their example. Give them the best to follow.

Then do your best for your own self, satisfaction, and peace of mind. Don’t settle for just taking out the garbage. Give your children, family, and friends something to brag about!

For What It’s Worth, Let’s Talk About Self Control

Sometimes it’s just a word, a sentence, a paragraph, an editorial, a book, or a sermon that catches our attention, speaks to something deep inside us and changes our direction or behavior for a lifetime. I remember reading somewhere about a grouch who refused to respond to a friendly greeting spoken each day by a prominent person. He was asked why he kept speaking to this man. He chose to act and not react.

Act is the word. Most people react. Which word describes you? To go through life reacting to others is to let someone else control you—enslave you. To act and not react to others’ rudeness requires a peace within one’s self and a set of core values that shapes conversation, conduct, and behavior toward others. In short, you are free to do what’s right! You treat others as you would like to be treated (Matthew 7:12).

With perpetual reactors, emotional and spiritual temperatures are always being raised or lowered by others. You become a slave to the multitude of folks around you. Praise brings feelings of pleasure, but criticism produces pain because it confirms your own sense of a lack of self-worth. Bitterness permeates your soul, and intensifies improper, unfriendly responses to others. Many times, the response is one of anger—even rage. Disaster results: For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20 NKJV). Such a person is no longer the master of self. To let others determine whether we are rude or gracious, elated or depressed, civil or sullen is to relinquish control over our own personalities.

The way we can avoid being reactors is two-fold. One: Let Christ control our lives, thoughts, words and deeds. Two: Add to our Christian faith, virtue, knowledge, patience, godliness, kindness and love, and, oh yes, temperance or self-control (2 Peter 1:5–7). Lack of control of temper, temperament and tongue is a prelude to trouble. Watch it!

For What It’s Worth, Let’s Talk About Right or Wrong

In the early movies, the good guys wore white hats and the bad boys wore black. It was easy to distinguish between the two. When it comes to what’s right and what’s wrong, gray has obliterated the black and the white, making it difficult to determine one from the other. No wonder our youth and many adults are left without a moral or spiritual compass. Help is needed!

Years ago, Dr. T. B. Maston, Ethics Professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological seminary, penned a book called Right or Wrong. I borrow his title for these thoughts. It would be easy to write a two-column list with right on one side and wrong on the other; Satan, however, would tempt you with something not on the list, so consider these questions based on Biblical principles, and apply them to daily decisions.

The first principle is the following: the Apostle Paul said, All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful (1 Corinthians 6:12a NKJV). For those gray areas, ask yourself: Is this activity necessary for a good accomplishment in my life? Past that hurdle and still confused? Then, consider principle number two: All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (1 Corinthians 6:12b NKJV). Is it habit-forming—will I be in control or will this control me? Not sure? Then, think: All things are lawful for me…but not all things edify (I Corinthians 10:23 NKJV). Will this tear me down—my health, mind, reputation, influence, or will it build me up? Still struggling? Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being (1 Corinthians 10:24 NKJV). How will this affect others? Good or bad? Give no offense, [stumbling block—trip rope] either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God" (I Corinthians 10:32 NKJV).

The big question is: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NKJV). Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31b NKJV). Can I glorify God with this activity?

Apply these principles found in 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 and 10:23–31, and God bless you as you make decisions for daily living.

For What It’s Worth, Let’s Talk About Our Conscience

I grew up hearing the old maxim, Let your conscience be your guide. Helpful, but not always good advice. A recent Dennis the Menace cartoon illustrates the weakness when, in prayer, he said to God: My conscience took the day off. Conscience can and often does lead us astray. All too often, it takes the day off and leaves us without the benefit of our moral compass.

Even when our conscience is on the job, it is not always reliable. Too often, it has been invaded and corrupted by the secular world’s views and values. The everybody’s doing it virus shuts down our better judgment, and wrong decisions are made.

Too often, our conscience loses the struggles against the desires of our but I want this now sinful nature. Paul, a greater man of faith than any of us, gave us his personal testimony. He said, For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do (Romans 7:15 NKJV). The source of the problem? "But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find" (Romans 7:17–18 NKJV). Our fleshly desires tend to override our desire to do well. In today’s world, the public media glamorizes wrongful acts and minimizes the consequences of wrong decisions.

What is the answer? Faith in Jesus Christ that makes Him LORD of our lives. His Holy Spirit leads us to understand and obey His words. Our conscience needs to be saturated with biblical truth. Through prayer, we ask for understanding and for deliverance from evil. We rely upon Him to give us power to overcome evil tendencies. We walk in His Spirit, guided by His precepts, and we love God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds; then, like a good shepherd, He goes before us, leads us, and delivers us from the evil influences.

For What It’s Worth, Let’s Talk About Personal Growth

The last time I visited the little four-room house that was my home for the first sixteen years of my life, I looked on the backdoor facing, and there were the pencil marks made ever so often as Dad measured my and my brother’s heights. I would stand with my back to the wall, and Dad would record my growth with a mark on the wall. Looking back, I realize these sessions took the place of today’s physical exams. If my growth rate was normal, the cotton scale indicated about the right weight, and my tongue was the right color, I was presumed to be healthy.

My question is this: physically, socially, spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually, are you growing at a healthy rate? Are you wiser than you were a year ago? Have you learned more about yourself, our world, and God’s Word? Are you more disciplined, more in control of your time, temperament, temper, and tongue? Do you have more good friends? Are you contributing more to the welfare of your community, church, and circle of friends?

Luke recorded the Savior’s early life with these words: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52 NKJV). This should be the lifelong pattern for followers of Christ—each occasioned measurement should record growth. Babies are wonderfully beautiful, but if a baby does not grow—well, maybe this story will reveal the tragedy. On January 16, 1935, the good doctor came to our home and delivered my baby brother. When he left our home, he went to my Dad’s cousin’s home and delivered a beautiful baby girl. My brother grew at a normal rate and still continues to live a very productive life. The baby girl did not grow. She spent more than sixty years in a baby bed and was totally dependent on others. Tragic? Yes! But when one grows only in stature and never matures in knowledge, wisdom, spiritually and all other areas of life, it is an unspeakable tragedy! How much have you grown? Is your growth a continuous pattern? For help, turn to God, His Word, His church.

For What It’s Worth, Let’s Talk About Fools

Outside of the Wisdom Literature, the Bible is very conservative in the use of the word fool. In reference to people, the gospels record only two times when Jesus used the word; one of these instances was in way of warning when he said, But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire (Matthew 5:22 NKJV). This indicates the need for real caution in our use of the word fool in speaking to, or about, another person. In fact, Jesus warns about the use of words like stupid and idiot.

With such gravity connected to the use of this word, perhaps we should study the Biblical use of the words fool and foolish and foolishness. In chapter 12 of Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells of a man whose fields produced in such abundance that storage of his crops was a problem. Instead of giving thanks and asking God for wisdom in the use of his blessings, he planned to eat, drink and be merry. But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ (v. 20 NKJV). To take life and God’s blessings for granted are the marks of a fool.

Psalm 14:1 reads: The fool has said in his heart, there is no God (NKJV). To see all that God has made and is doing while still denying His existence marks one a fool. But let’s pursue