So a Fool Repeats His Foolishness...

By: Lyn Chaffart
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April 23, 2022

A few weeks before this was written, my grandpuppy, Charlie, had a stubborn parasitic infection that wouldn't go away. We were all concerned since young pups dehydrate so quickly, and the subject of texts from our son and daughter-in-law were often in regards to his intestinal well-being.

At one point, our son told us that Charlie had lost his supper, that that he had then gone right back and eaten it. Okay. A bit graphic, don't you think? Maybe too much information? Yet, having had dogs most of my life, I know that this is very normal behaviour for a dog, and besides, even the Bible refers to this behaviour in dogs: "As a dog returns to its vomit.." (Prov. 26:11a NLT). I'll admit I couldn't remember the rest of the text, and I didn't bother looking it up. In fact, I put the entire incident out of my mind, for with the proper puppy medication, the texts with our kids once again took on more normal topics of conversation.

Imagine my surprise, however, when the verse was once again brought to my mind this morning...

Facing major surgery at the end of the week, along with difficulties accepting the potential outcomes of the surgery, I had been struggling with depression. As I sat down to have my worship that morning, I could hear God calling me to give it all to Him. Easier said then done, especially when you don't really fully appreciate just what is causing the depression to creep in. God, in His goodness, soon revealed to me that I was fearing the potential outcomes of the surgery. In addition, I was worried about all that needed to be accomplished before surgery day; AND I was concerned about the actual anaesthesia process. God reminded me then of the train ride He had brought me on when I dealt with breast cancer in 2012. He reminded me that all I needed to do was to give all my "luggage" (all my worries) to Him, and then sit back and enjoy the ride. He reminded me of the many blessings that He orchestrated for me throughout that process, and then He reminded me that He hadn't changed!

I understood. I gave the whole surgery business to Him and accepted His peace instead.

When I opened my Bible a few minutes later, to the place in Proverbs where I had left off reading the day before, this verse jumped out at me: "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness." (Proverbs 26:11 NLT). I smiled at the memory of my son's latest good health report for Charlie and whispered a "thank You" to God for healing the puppy. I then prepared to move on to the next verse. After all, the puppy wasn't sick anymore, and why would God be talking to me about being foolish? When had I ever returned to my foolishness?

You can imagine what God had to say to me after that last thought went through my mind... When had I ever returned to my foolishness? Why had I NOT returned to my foolishness would have been more like it!

It caught my attention, and I knew God had something more to say to me about this verse. "What is it, Lord?" I whispered. And then I knew: When I let the worry creep in that morning about my upcoming surgery, I was, in effect, like a fool who repeats his foolishness! Didn't I know better than to worry? Hadn't God and I already walked this road many times in the past? Hadn't I learned through cancer that I didn't need to worry about the "what ifs" and the "but thens"? Hadn't God been teaching me through the months and years about the futility of worrying about something that hadn't yet happened and might not even happen? Yes, I was being that "fool" in Proverbs 26 who was "repeating his foolishness"! I was no better than my grandpuppy...

I repented then and there, and I asked God to remind me of this verse the next time the depression came knocking. Unfortunately, I must have then forgotten about the whole incident, because an hour later, guess what was knocking at the door of my spirit? Yup, you guess it! Depression! And anyone care to guess what it was rooted in? Yup! Worry about that surgery! This time, however, God immediately placed Proverbs 26:11 on my heart: "As a dog returns to its vomit..." Images of little Charlie licking the floor immediately flooded my mind. No! I wasn't going to be that fool who repeated his or her foolishness! Not this time! And by the power of the Lord and the merits of His blood that I immediately claimed, the depression had to flee! I then gave, once again, all the aspects about the surgery to Him. I put it all on His train, and then I transferred myself to the most comfortable seat in God's First Class wagon and settled in for the ride.

Anyone surprised to realize that I've had joy in my heart ever since? That when surgery day came, everything went well? I wasn't even tired afterwards and my stomach wasn't even upset?

What is your "pet" worry, the one you keep returning to? Is it worry over finances, even though God has always gotten you through? Is it worry about upcoming health procedures, even though you've experienced God's provision through health issues before? Is it worry about relationships, even though God is the master relationship builder? Is it something -- anything -- else? Whatever it is, don't be like Charlie. Don't be that fool who repeats his foolishness. Give it to the Lord, then make yourself comfortable for the ride of your life!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Moderator, Associate director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

Announcements

In one more day, our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ in Australia and New Zealand will be celebrating ANZAC Day in honor of all who suffered and gave up their lives in wars, conflicts and peace keeping operations.

As a special note from Australian Nugget writer, Elizabeth Price, we would like to present you with the following commemoration. We pray it will be a blessing to everyone around the world, especially in our current days of conflict:
 

ANZAC DAY 2022

By: Elizabeth Price  

Today we remember the ANZACS and those who died in war to uphold the Biblical truths of Christianity.  Without Christian beliefs the whole world would be overrun by atheism with all its cruelties.

Christ said ‘… And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.’ (Rev. 22:12 KJV)

Now we have reached the point where every person in the world needs to make up their minds whether they believe the Bible truths or not.  Christ is coming but he is not coming to land on this earth; He is coming to gather his people, to resurrect the dead who believed in Christ, and to take them home to their Father in heaven.

Christ is bringing a reward to everyone so he has to know every mind.  This also means that the time is coming when we cannot change our minds.  The reason is given in verse 14 of the final chapter of the Bible:  ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city.’ (Rev. 22:14 KJV)  He also says ‘… and behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.’ (Rev. 22:12 KJV)

They have made up their minds that they want to live eternally as the Lord chooses and consequently, when the Lord comes to gather his people and take them home, he knows their minds before he arrives.  Our Saviour cannot bring presents to those who have not made up their minds that they want to live the life he offers.  Also it means just as surely that there are people who do not want to live as the Lord and Saviour choose.  They also will get their reward because he will give to ‘every man according as his work shall be.’ (Rev. 22:12b KJV See also 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17). 

I also believe there will be many people taken to heaven who have never heard the name of Christ but have lived his principles and so they also will be included with those who, by the grace of God, have opportunity to read the Bible. 

So now, as Jesus said, go quietly into your room to pray, so let us pray quietly together, ‘Our Father which is in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.  Amen.’ (Matt. 6:9-13 KJV

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

'And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

1.  Thou shat have no other gods before me.

2.   Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above , or in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:  for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

3.   Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

4.   Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God:  in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:  wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.

5.   Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

6.   Thou shalt not kill.

7.   Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

8.   Thou shalt not steal.

9.   Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, not his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

(The commandments are found in Exodus 20:3 to 17 and referred to in Revelation 22:11 to 14.)   I believe there will be many people taken to heaven who have never heard the name of Christ but have lived his principles and they will be included with those of us who do have opportunity to read the Bible.)