Wisdom Corner: Do Not Be Chaff

In the days of "the Bible, people would grow grain in their fields. When the grain was ready to be harvested, they would go out and cut the grain stalks and bring all the grain to a central area. The grain would be rolled with a rock or smooth roller, or they would hit the stalks on the hard ground. This would separate the dirt, the stalk, and the hard, outer casing of the grain from the kernel that could be eaten.

"When they were through rolling or hitting the kernels, the whole mixture was thrown into the air. The wind would blow away the dirt, stalks, and outer casings. The edible grain would fall back to the ground. The part that blew away was "chaff." This would be swept up and burnt as trash.

God says that if we do not study His Word, and do not delight in obeying His laws, then we are as chaff in His sight. In Psalm 1:4 we read that the Ungodly "are like the chaff which   the wind drives away." God said the same thing about those people who were evil in the days of Hosea (read Hosea 13:1-4). John the Baptizer said that Jesus would "burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12).In this verse "chaff" refers to people who do not repent; the "un­ quenchable fire" is hell.

By comparison, godly people are like a tree planted by ample supply of water (Psalm 1:3). I think I would rather be a tree next to water, than chaff. How about you? The only way to make sure you are not chaff is to study your Bible, and obey what it says.

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