Matthew 17:4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

I am reminded of Einstein’s famous quote: “There are two things that are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity. And I’m not so sure about the universe.” This is such a laughably inappropriate thing for Peter to have said! Jesus told them not to tell anyone about it all until after the resurrection, but I have the feeling not just James and John, but Peter himself told the other disciples about this after that point. The thing is, after having denied Jesus three times during His trial, and then being forgiven after His resurrection, Peter had zero personal pride left. That’s actually a very good place to be! We are capable of absolutely incredible stupidity, sometimes with horrific results. I’m reminded of the details that have come out from the trial of the man who murdered Laken Riley. He was married, and yet chose to go out to rape someone, and murdered her when she resisted. That is stupidity beyond belief. When we read all the Bible stories, sometimes we think, “How could they be so stupid?” For me, Solomon comes to mind. However, that’s a reminder that we’re just as human as they were, and we too are capable of incredible stupidity. The wisest course, without question, is to seek and follow God’s guidance at every turn, but we seldom operate in such wisdom. We need to have enough wisdom to know that we’re ignorant and stupid! That’s why the Bible says, in multiple places and with various turns of phrase, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) The smartest thing is to know that God alone is smart!

This is extremely appropriate for me, because I was born with a high IQ and quickly got used to being “the smartest person in the room.” That led to insufferable pride, which is the ultimate expression of stupidity! God dealt with the pride to a great extent when I was 24, but it wasn’t many years ago when it really penetrated that God’s smart and I’m not. I’m not just stupid, I’m stubbornly stupid! However, there is great liberty in that realization. I’ll never be the smartest person in the room, because God is omnipresent, and He’s the only one that truly “knows it all.” I am constantly faced with decisions of one sort and another, and I’ve got to keep the ears of my heart open to hear what God says about each one. Thankfully, I have God’s promise through Isaiah: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” (Isaiah 30:21) My task is to be listening, and obedient.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for not giving up on me in my stupidity! Help me express Your grace to those around me, so that together we may learn from You, even through each other, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!