| Day 302: Read today's devotional on Bible Gateway. Unwise AssumptionsUsing a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. If a snake bites before you charm it, what's the use of being a snake charmer? Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can't even find their way home. What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning. Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house. A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!
(Ecclesiastes 10:10-19) Reflect"Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions" (10:13). One foolish assumption involves trying to do a task without the necessary skills or tools. This is like trying to chop wood with a dull ax. If your tool is dull, you need to sharpen it to do a better job. Similarly, if you lack skills, you need to sharpen them through training and practice. In each situation, sharpening the ax means recognizing where a problem exists, acquiring or honing the skills (or tools) to do the job well, and then going out and doing it. Another foolish assumption is the thought that money is the answer to every problem. Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money (see Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:10; Hebrews 13:5). Money is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. The love of money is sinful because we trust money rather than God to solve our problems. Those who pursue its empty promises will one day discover that they have nothing because they are spiritually bankrupt. RespondFind the areas of your life where your "ax" is dull, and sharpen your skills so you can be more effective for God's work. Also, prayerfully examine your views about money. Ask God to help you be wise in your finances. | 
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