Redemption Type Three: The Fool
Psalm 107:17-21 NIV
"Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered afflictions because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. "
The third type of redemption that has been presented to us in Psalm 107:17-21, is what I call "the fool." People are referred to as fools on a regular basis, but what does it mean to be a fool? According to the Oxford Dictionary, a fool is a person who acts unwisely or imprudently. So not only does a fool act in an unwise manner, but they tend to be irrational and make poor decisions. As Christians, we can probably see how this lifestyle could be detrimental to our faith, but yet still so easy to fall victim to. We can use me as an example... and I'll get to that part shortly. However, if we're making poor decisions, we will have some consequences to face. If we're careless and living in sin, it's only going to be a matter of time before our luck runs out and we're left to face the music before God.
The good news is, just like the other two types of redemption, we will see that it is through our suffering that we see redemption. God uses our adversities to guide us right back to him. Like you have seen in the two previous teachings, if we call out to the Lord, then he will
save us from our distress. So, what does it look like to be a fool today? If you came from my era, you're probably singing, "you're looking like a fool with your pants on the ground,' " but that's just scraping the surface of what we're about to dive into.
What Does a Fool Look Like?
A fool today can present themselves in many ways. All, of which, revolving around the idea of perpetual sin. A fool can look like someone living for the world and overindulging in the tempting gifts it has to offer. A lot of times a fool will overindulge in monetary items and unknowingly make their possessions their idols. They trust in money and mark people's values by the amount they do or don't have in their bank account. They live selfishly and feed their soul exactly what it craves; be it fame, alcohol, drugs, money or possessions. A fool may lie, steal and cheat knowing that what they're doing is wrong. They throw their faith to the wind and put their love in themselves instead of God the Father. Morals aren't abundant in their lives, and they live for themselves and only themselves.
We see this character a lot these days, and just because we are Christians, doesn't mean we are excluded from falling victim to this lifestyle. In the last teaching, I spoke a bit on how I allowed money and possessions to become an idol to me. I allowed these things to determine my worth in this world, and I placed my love for them on a shelf much higher than the Lord. That wasn't the only foolish thing I've done, though. When I went through my post-partum depression, I self-medicated with alcohol and became addicted. Everyday I'd wake up thinking about what I was going to have to drink that day. I'd find myself lying to my husband when he started expressing his concerns. I'd lie to him about what I'd spent on alcohol that week. I'd lie to him about if I went and got more after I drank everything I had in the house. I'd even buy bottles and bottles when I wasn't supposed to and hide them from him. Poor choice after poor choice, I dug my own grave deeper and deeper.
Because of my poor decisions, I was faced with affliction after affliction. I didn't realize it at the time, but the afflictions (or sufferings) I was facing were actually a sign that things were going to start looking up. In the last teaching, I said that the bitter labor (or afflictions) that the prisoners were faced with were actually God's hand guiding them back to him. Well, the trend continues in this teaching as well. As we move into this next part, I will explain to you just how this suffering brought me back to him. It is important to remember that when were faced with affliction, it is not because God is mad at us or out to get us. No... it is actually the opposite. The beauty in it all is that this all comes from his love for us, even when we don't show our love for him. It is because he's trying to do a work in us. There is something that we're doing that is hindering our growth and our relationship with God. These afflictions are like him nudging us in the right direction.
God's Redeeming Grace
If we look at both my issue with money and my issue with drinking, we can see that I was feeding my soul worldly desires like it was two for one steak night. I didn't include God anywhere in the mix. Both times, I suffered some pretty excruciating afflictions. God will give us a warning if were living foolishly (Job 33:14-18). There are times, though, that we don't recognize him whispering warnings to us. In turn, he has to get our attention some other way. Kind of like when I've told my daughter to pick up her toys nicely twice and after the third time of not listening, she gets a smack on the back of the hand. Job 33:19 NLT says, "Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones."
In the midst of my uncontrollable drinking, my husband began to lose his trust in me. As you could only assume, this put a huge strain on our marriage. At one point, we had decided to call it quits after many years and an amazing family together. Then, one day, he decided he would give me another chance. That by working on myself and us, we could make this marriage last. My husband is a very stuck in his ways kind of guy. If he has his mind made up, then that's what he's going to do. It truly was by the grace of God that his heart was softened, and my story would change dramatically. Reflecting on that time, I can see clearly that it was my afflictions that got my attention and showed me that my ways needed to change. In passing, my husband handed me a small green pocket bible that belonged to him. One that you would find people handing out at county fairs. I sat down that morning and started flipping through it. The verses I once found confusing now spoke to me. There was a craving in my heart to know more. I now, all of a sudden, couldn't get enough of what I was reading.
That day, I saw my afflictions banish. My suffering went away. God's hand had redeemed me, and I was his. The devil didn't have a hold of me anymore. I made a promise that day to never have a drink again, and that is a promise that I have been able to keep. Not only that, but I was able to walk away from my three yearlong addiction without a single withdrawal symptom. I haven't had a craving since (Praise be to God!). You see, when we feed our souls the wrong kind of food, and live foolishly, we will get so sick of the worldly food were eating that we starve (Psalm 107-18). However, when we choose to feed on the word of God, we will be satisfied. We will see our suffering subside. When we cry out to the Lord, he will always rescue us from the grave and make us brand new. Even better, he sent his only son to die for our sins. So that when we live our lives like fools, we are able to see redemption and forgiveness.
Conclusion
In life, we may fall into the trap of the devil and live foolishly. However, God wants to redeem us. God wants to forgive us. The living proof can be found in the Gospel. Though we may not always be receptive to his gentle warnings, and are faced with affliction, God always has a way of getting our attention in order to bring us back to him. It is when we cry out in our suffering that he will feed us his sustainable food. He will save our starving souls from the gates of death, and not only restore us, but recreate us into something brand new.
Psalm 107:21 NIV
"Let us give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind."
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I pray that my teaching has brought good to those who have read it. I pray that if there is anyone living foolishly, that this may help them to see that you are right there waiting for them to come home. Father, it is through your love that we may see redemption like none other. It is the food that you provide for us that will allow us to prosper and be full. Lord, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, so that we are not only redeemed, but we are forgiven. God, it doesn't matter how far gone we are, or what type of redemption we may see, you are still standing here with your gracious arms wide open ready to embrace us and welcome us home. I pray this all in Jesus' name.
Amen!
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