Thought for the Day

Verse 15 - The Hebrew word for simple in verses 15 and 18 means "foolish, easily seduced." The simple believe anything; the wise examine a matter before committing to it. The Bible tells us that we should prove all things, not believe all things. Society is flooded with things that appear harmless. We cannot be overcomers until we learn to "test" or "prove" the issues of this life (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Jesus warned of false teachers and gave guidelines for detecting them (Matthew 7:15-23). Just because someone prophesies, casts out devils, or does miracles in Christ's name does not mean that he is from God. Jesus said we would know false prophets by their fruits (by whether or not they live godly lives). This fruit of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

While we are admonished to be careful, some become closed to some beautiful Biblical truths in the name of caution. We are told to prove all things; neither rejecting something because it is strange or new, nor receiving anything until we have proved it against God's Word. All Christians agree that our standard is the Bible. God gave us this book as a gauge so that we could know whether something is good or evil, truth or error, right or wrong (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Not only are we to "test" the spirits in men, but we are to do the same with any supernatural manifestations that we might experience. Today, when the world is being exposed to so many false things, we need to be careful not to expose our spirits to false dreams, visions, revelations, prophecies, or voices. The Word of God definitely teaches that God can manifest Himself in any of these things, but we are not to blindly accept everything that comes in the name of Jesus. We need to test or prove these also. One of Satan's greatest devices is to counterfeit the real things of God and come to us disguised as the working of the Holy Spirit. How do we test these things? Let us look to God's Word, as there is always wisdom there to show us what is truth.

Verses 16-18 - Those who are wise will reverence God and turn away from evil. Fools are arrogant, quick-tempered, and reap folly as their portion. The wise gain knowledge from God and lead overcoming lives. God's ways are pure, peaceable, and full of good works. The devil inspires strife and envy. We must prove all things, checking to see if they agree with Scripture and if they produce good fruit. Only then can we accept it.