Worldly Reason

As Louis-Charles-Antoine Desaix de Veygoux prepared to lead the forces of France into battle, he felt it was appropriate to say a few words to encourage the troops. Traditionally, this had been a time for prayer, but by 1798, the time of the Battle of the Nile, France officially had rejected God. As a result, a typical prayer was out of the question.

Instead Desaix decided to read from the philosophical writings of Montesquieu, who had been a brilliant thinker. Yet it can be hard to imagine how his writings could have inspired these troops.

These men in revolutionary France had become slaves of their concepts of reason to the point that they rejected anything associated with God. This is what can happen when we trust in human reason and reject God.

Many people today follow the same patterns. For answers, they look to worldly wisdom such as education and science. These pursuits have value, but they cannot replace God.

Tragically, some believers follow a similar path, basing their lives on worldly philosophies. As a result, it can be hard to distinguish between them and the lives of unbelievers. Meanwhile, God looks down from heaven “to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God” (v. 2).

Today, make sure that you have the right priorities. Place your hope in the living God. Seek first His Kingdom and His wisdom. And base your life on His Word.