Cornerstone

Psa 14:1; 53:1

April Fool ‘s day has been an excuse for people around the globe to try to trick their friends with practical jokes. One of the most successful attempts occurred in 1957 when the BBC news show “Panorama ” told their audience that due to a very mild winter the spaghetti weevil had been wiped out. As a result the Swiss farmers were having a bumper crop of spaghetti. They showed pictures of the farmers harvesting large amounts of spaghetti from trees. As a result the station was deluged with calls asking how they might also grow spaghetti. The duped viewers were told that they should put a piece of spaghetti in a tomato sauce can and hope for the best.

Through the years people have done many foolish things but the worst examples have always been when people have rejected the existence of God. Psa 14:1 and Psa 53:1 state this very clearly. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God. ” The fool speaks with conviction and authority as he declares that His Creator does not exist.

Only when we abandon our pride and notice the handiwork of the Almighty can we be elevated from the ignorance of foolishness. Only when we reach up to Him admitting that we are unworthy to be considered can we know that our darkened mind has made its first noteworthy declaration. He is the “I Am. ” Without Him we are not. Without Him we would not have the possibility of physical life. More significantly, without Him we spiritually are “walking dead men. ” Because He is . . . and because He lives, we have hope.

Acts 2:41-47

“Now and Long Ago” by Glen Lough, recounts the history of Marion County, West Virginia. In that account the reader is told of Frederick Ice who was an early settler on the South Branch of the Potomac River in Frederick County, Virginia. In 1752 Indians raided his cabin. They killed Frederick’s wife Mary and kidnapped three of his children.

Frederick’s son William lived with the Indians for several years before he finally escaped. He was reunited with his father. Frederick’s daughters, Christina and Marguerite were never to return. Some Indian traders tried to rescue them but that they refused the offer. They both later married Indians and became willing members of the Indian community.

This account parallels the human predicament. We have been kidnapped and enslaved in sin. A rescue has been offered. It is up to each person, however, whether or not the offer will be accepted. We can easily escape the clutches of sin by humbling ourselves and asking for God’s forgiveness. On the other hand, if we insist we can be married to the life of sin and refuse the grace of God.

Dr. Gayle Woods