Today's Devotional

 

August 2, 2007

                                                                                  

Subject:  Lots Of Smoke But No Fire  

Proverbs 26:16 - "The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason." 

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There used to be a comedy called, "In Living Color."  In that show there was a character played by Damon Wayans named Oswald Bates.  The camera would initially focus on his face as he began his monologue.  He would use a lot of big words and all of them improperly.  Then as the camera pulled back into a wider view, you could see that he was in jail.  

Those were funny episodes but they demonstrate the message in the verse above.  Everybody seems to know somebody like Oswald Bates, who for all of their knowledge and supposed wisdom, can't seem to get their own lives right.  They're usually articulating how to solve the world's problems or how you can solve all of your problems and then they ask you to borrow five dollars.   This person thinks he or she has wisdom, when their real problem is laziness; lots of smoke out of that chimney but no fire.

Today, understand that your conceit and wisdom is not a substitute for common sense and work.  Instead of you having to speak of your keen greatness, let your work do that.  Nobody could understand Oswald Bates.  Everybody could understand Billy Graham.  

Carlen