Proverbs 28:26 Remember WWJD?

26 ¶ He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

What pathway are we walking?

I recall that in the 1970's it seemed that all everyone was talking about was "doing your own thing," and "following your heart," and even "gotta find myself, find out who I really am."

It seemed that everyone wanted to replace what was right and wrong, with what "felt" good and felt right at the time. The idea of comparing what we thought we should do, with what the Word of God said, seemed to be forgotten.

Then in the 1990's there was a wave of "What would Jesus do?" It was a positive change, for many would actually stop and think about their actions or their words, and alter their course for the better.  Sometimes they still did the wrong thing, though, for instead of consulting the word of God, they again would go with how they felt --- how their heart led them.

Solomon told us a little something in chapter 3 that is helpful:

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

And today's verse is a precursor to what Jeremiah told us:

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Wow. Our hearts are not just wicked, before Christ changes us. They are desperately wicked. And each and every day we need His help to become more and more like Him. We simply cannot follow our heart, unless our heart is safely in His hands.
We must walk wisely in the pathway that God our Father has set us upon. We cannot trust in our own hearts, but in the heart of Christ. Deliverance from the day-to-day sin "that does so easily beset us" does not come from trusting in our own hearts, but from trusting in Christ, and letting His word change us day by day.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Proverbs 27:22 Back to the grind

Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
    grinding them like grain with a pestle,    you will not remove their folly from them. (Proverbs 27:22)

Solomon is talking here about some tools that were very familiar to his hearers, but that we don't think about much, today. A mortar is a bowl, and it's typically made of very hard wood, ceramic, or hollowed-out stone. The pestle is a heavy object with one end larger than the other, which is usually made of wood (or porcelain for medicinal grinding). Whatever you wish to crush or grind is placed in the mortar and then the pestle is used to grind or crush the substance. Sometimes a mixture would be made by crushing more than one substance together in the mortar. This system was used in food preparation, as well, in removing the husks or hulls from grain, so that it could be ground for flour.

Though it is not impossible for a foolish person to be reached by the Holy Spirit, a fool will continue to do evil, no matter how he or she is pressed or punished. Solomon says it is the identifying mark of a foolish person. Look at what the prophet Jeremiah said:

Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
    You struck them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.
They made their faces harder than stone
    and refused to repent.  (Jeremiah 5:3)

A foolish person is not willing to change. It is part of their nature to do what they do, and many times they do not even believe that there is a God. Jeremiah said that the people "hardened their faces and refused to repent."

Is there something in our lives that God has pointed out to us, that we need to correct, or get rid of? Has He nudged us and reminded us of that sin? Will He have to place us in a "mortar" of hardship in order to get our attention, or will we repent --- turn away from that sin and become more like Him?  Through prayer and study of His word, He can gradually change us into the person that we can become; we can reach our full potential, and be used by Him for His glory. Perhaps we need to pray and ask our Father to show us the "foolishness" that is lurking in our lives, and help us to root it out.

Proverbs 26:4-5 Good answers

⁴ Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.
⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.

Wha-a-a???  
That was my response, gentle reader, when I first read these two verses. I knew I needed help, so I turned to Matthew Henry's and John Gill's commentaries . . .

John Gill covers these verses by telling us that one should not answer a fool at all. He cites as examples the ministers of Hezekiah and King Hezekiah himself, who did not respond directly to Rabshekah, the field commander of the Assyrian king. (You can read the whole story in Isaiah 36-39.) 
There was a time when Christ did not respond to the railing of the scribes and the Pharisees, either. Check out the passage in John 8. There was an onslaught of questions, aimed at cornering and discrediting Him, and He simply did not answer.

Matthew Henry notes that the proverbs here are cautioning us against answering the foolish question in the same manner in which it was asked -- to avoid responding to anger with anger, railing with railing, sarcasm with the same, etc.  When we answer a foolish person, we must do it in wisdom, to keep him from thinking he has "won the argument" and puffing him up with pride about his superior intellect and reasoning!  In other words, you don't let the person get away with his foolishness, but don't respond in the same manner in which he proposed the question. And, sometimes, silence is golden -- especially if we realize that answering would make our argument or solution appear weak, because we are not fully prepared to answer in wisdom.

Now there are some real, rational questions that people may raise when discussing the Christian faith. But we all probably know people who think up questions that they know are not constructive; going round and round on a trivial issue with someone who is being hostile, combative, and argumentative is not going to accomplish anything --- except that you might begin to lose your composure and then lose your effectiveness as a witness. Someone watching the two of you might have a difficult time deciding who was the Christian, and who was not! 

We can be better prepared for these situations by immersing ourselves in His word; by knowing the scriptures backwards and forwards; by praying for the opportunity to share with someone who is willing to hear.

 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. I Peter 3:15-16

Proverbs 26:3 Herding ducklings

³ A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and a rod for the backs of fools!

Some of you may recall from my other blog that our family is raising eight orphaned ducklings.  They are a lot of fun, and they can also be a fair amount of work.

We have constructed a movable pen, so that they can be in different areas of our yards from day to day, and the wire play yard can be easily moved as well, to encompass their sand box "pool." (It seems that hanging on to things that the kids outgrew can be a good thing.) 

Each day, they have two "outings" where they are free from the fence and can explore and graze. We supervise them, since they have no duckie mama to tell them what is and is not dangerous. With the help of our dog, who has herding instincts in her heritage, we gently herd them away from the densely wooded areas, away from the automobiles, etc., etc.  One evening while I was trying to turn them back from the cars (don't want them to get too accustomed to cars; when they are turned loose on the lake, they will avoid the roads) I realized that this was similar to what God does with His children. He gives us opportunities to venture out, and be more daring, and try things that we've not tried before --- but always He is there, gently turning us back from what is dangerous. 

Of course, when we don't heed the gentle guidance, that's when this verse comes into play!

Horses and donkeys start out in a herd . . . the ratio of cowboy (human) to horses may be as large as 1 to 50. It's the one-on-one time, the training, where there is one human and one horse, where the learning takes place. The horse learns to obey the bridle and the whip, to go where his human trainer wishes for him to go. 

That should be what happens in our relationship with our Father -- He is far gentler at first; no bridle or whip is used. We can receive His guidance in our prayer time and in our study of His word. Our conscience can speak to us and we can follow.

If we are foolish, however, our Father's only recourse may be discipline. Solomon says in the verse above, that the fool must be chastened and taught by a "rod" applied to his back. Why is it that sometimes we refuse to learn, unless God chastens and disciplines us? It is more painful and more difficult. Why don't we learn our lessons?

It all stems from our former nature - that sinful self that Christ changed when he saved us -- and the constant battle between our old self and the new spiritual nature:

II Corinthians 5:17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And yes, it is a struggle -- check out Romans 7:15-25, where Paul tells us that he is frustrated because he keeps doing the things he knows he should not, and he is not doing the things he should.

Jesus knew we would experience this, when He said: "... the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41)

We need to try to heed Peter's instructions in I Peter 1:14 . . . As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

Peter knew what he was talking about, too, for he struggled with these issues. Let's be determined and pray to God to guide us; let's pay attention to the gentle guidance, and avoid the chastening and discipline if we can!

Proverbs 26:1 Snow in July

1  Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
    honor is not fitting for a fool.

I believe this verse is talking about when things seem appropriate, and when they don't.We've all heard the expressions and cliches about having snow in the summertime --- it just doesn't seem right. Snow belongs in the winter months, right? When it does happen, it is so unusual that it is heralded on the news!

Rain in the harvest times of Solomon's era would have seemed just as unusual. The typical weather for their harvests was fairly dry . . . and it needed to be. Their agricultural methods were uniquely different from today. There were no huge combines to creep across the fields and harvest ripened grain --- they actually cut their grain before it was ripe, and gathered it into "sheaves" or bundles that would stand upright in the fields. Standing up like this allowed rain and dew to drain away, and avoided trapping the moisture as would happen if the bundles were lying on the ground. (Later then the grain was ready, the sheaves would be taken to the threshing floor, where the husks would be shaken or gently beaten to release the grain.) Of course, if there were unusually heavy rains when the sheaves were standing in the fields, some of the crop would be lost.

Just like snow in the summer, and heavy rains in the ancient harvest times; it is unusual, and it is not fitting to praise someone for foolish behavior. David told us in Psalm 14:1,

The fool says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

But in our culture, it is troubling (and not fitting) that wicked men and women are praised as heros and held up as people whom we should emulate! Their sins and their excesses are celebrated.
Let's look at Psalm 12:7-8:

⁷ You, Lord, will keep the needy safe
    and will protect us forever from the wicked,
⁸ who freely strut about
    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

We learned in the very first chapter of Proverbs that fools despise wisdom and knowledge, and won't listen to instruction.
We need to make certain that the people that we honor, the people we praise and celebrate and allow to influence us and our families, are godly people --- not foolish people!

Proverbs 23:9 What we should do with those pearls . . .

I thought the NIV gave us the most easily understood translation today:

⁹ Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.

At first glance, this verse would seem to go against some of what we've talked about in the past. We have discussed how to get wisdom, and how to then guide others with that instruction. We've been encouraged to help others, to speak good counsel to them, and to assist them in finding wisdom.

But this verse seems to be saying "don't bother!"  What gives?

I began to understand it more completely when I studied the roots and meanings of the words. The word here carries the meaning of one who "hates wisdom and despises morality," even "casting off the fear of God," and then "committing evil, while making fun of sin and God's instruction."  Wow.  Pretty strong words, no?

So, we are not talking about someone who, when confronted with his mistakes, is open to correction. Oh, no. This is someone who will make sport of discipline, and throw off any correction like a sailor casting off a line.

This is the type of person that we are warned to not "cast our pearls before" because they are virtually unchangeable. But there is one thing that we can do for them --- and it's not a waste of time. Pray for them!  The Spirit can change their hearts, and then change their lives. 


Do you know someone like this? Have you tried to witness to them with your life, and with your words? Then let's be sure to pray for them - they are beloved of the Father, and He wants them to come to Him.

Proverbs 17: 23-28

23 The wicked accept bribes in secret 

   to pervert the course of justice.

 24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, 

   but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

 25 A foolish son brings grief to his father 

   and bitterness to the mother who bore him.

 26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good, 

   surely to flog honest officials is not right.

 27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, 

   and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

 28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, 

   and discerning if they hold their tongues.

Usually I run several days ahead when studying for these Bible study posts. But I had complete hang up for today's study. I spent from last Wed through last Saturday just mulling it over in my mind. We've visited the subject of fools many times in our study of Proverbs and as usual, I wanted to do something that either blessed us or stepped on our toes. Because that's kind of how I like these studies to go, you know? 

Then it happened. I had a fool's moment. 

(Kind of like a Proverbial blonde moment?)

Saturday afternoon my kids and husband were all home. Yes, that is nice, and I do love it. But a moment alone for is a rare, sweet occasion. Suddenly Saturday I found that moment. Actually 16 of them. Because I timed it. 16 minutes of completely alone-ness bliss. Husband and one child were gone to the store.

Other two kids decided to run to the gas station to buy some pop. (I don't buy it or keep it here--they want it--they have to get it themselves.)

16 minutes. It started out great! I grabbed a load of sorted dirty laundry, raced down the basement stairs, switched laundry from washer to dryer and hamper to washer in record time. Then I started to head back upstairs, calculating in my head what else I could get done in my few minutes of bliss.

Then it happened. I was a fool.

I committed the following sins over the next five minutes.

1) Lust of the flesh

2) Covetousness

3)Stealing

4) Dishonesty

You see, I knew that Seth had some of these stashed in his room (because I bought them for him the day before):

And I coveted them. Then I stole one. Then I ate it, savoring that sugary goodness. Which is where I lied to myself because there was nothing good for me about it. And the next thing you know...the family is home. 

I spent my 16 minutes in a foolish way. Yes, this was a bit light-hearted. But don't let that stop you from getting the moral of the story. Throughout our day we have moments. Here and there. Little bits of time that we could use for good...or that we can use as a fool would use them. 

Today in your journals, title a page "Sweet 16". 

Then list 16 things that you can do when you have a spare moment here or there. Don't rush through writing this list. Pray over it..take a few days. Then next time you have a free moment, you'll have a go-to list to help you stay on the straight and narrow; and maybe you'll not fall into the same trap has your hillbilly friend and her foolish fudgy pugdy 16 moments.

I've not written all 16 myself yet..but here's a few to get you started. (remember these are short little things you can do in short moments of time):

1. Read a chapter of Psalms

2. Pray for someone that needs salvation

3. dust one room of the house

4. Refresh: brush hair, teeth, change a shirt if needed ( I have a toddler..this is often needed!)

5. Walk around the block

6. Drink a whole glass of water and eat some celery.

7. Write a quick love note to husband or a child and leave it where they will find it sometime later that day

Now, you may be wondering what in the world this has to do with today's passage. Well, it doesn't...directly. In fact, we have mentioned on most occasions that 'fools' in the book of Proverbs means the unsaved. But,sometimes, we do foolish things; and that is what I felt led to talk to you about today. 

Have fun making your sweet 16 list. We can go discuss it on our secret fb page if you like. It will be fun coming up with things and sharing them with each other.

Prov. 17 : 16 What Price Glory?

Pro 17:16  Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

As I was studying this verse, I looked at some commentaries, and was searching for the roots of some of the words . . . sometimes that really helps us to get a handle on the language of Solomon, and then the language of the translators. (In my case, that is the learned men that King James I tasked with translating the Scripture. I use other versions to assist in my studies, but I always fall back on the familiar, and the beauty of the King James Bible.)
Solomon is astonished here, that sometimes there is great blessing or wealth available to those who seem undeserving.  In our mortal lives, there are often times that a foolish person may receive a bounty that would have been much better used by someone with more wisdom, or who needed it more. We can think of an inheritance squandered by a foolish heir, or a true love tossed away by a shallow lover.
My mind turned to the price, or payment, that is placed in the hands of men and women, by Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Mortal man has "no heart" for it before the Holy Spirit touches his soul, and draws him to repentance. Our hearts and minds are set on other things; we are either unknowing, or neglectful, of the great mercy that He offers. Our sin blinds us to the glory that can be ours.

It is amazing. Indeed, as Solomon thought, it is astonishing that a holy God would consider us and provide for our salvation. He gives us rational minds, and souls in the likeness of Him who created us.  He gives us time and opportunity, and helpers for understanding (the Scriptures, and those who help us comprehend them).  The payment is there within our grasp - Jesus left the glory of heaven to enable us to experience glory --- here in a small way; later in heaven, in an infinite way.

There is a classic movie entitled "What Price Glory?" and I thought of it as I considered the verse.

What price was God willing to pay for us to achieve glory? The ultimate price: His only Son who was sinless, became the payment of our sin debt, and died on the cross, to rise again and enable us to live forever with Him.
And then, what price am I willing to pay, to give glory back to my Savior?

Proverbs 14 : 7 - 9 I'm outa here!

Now, before you jump to a conclusion, I'm not leaving the study! These three verses just give us three examples of foolish things --- things to avoid. I'm not saying you have to jump on your horse and race away, so let's look at all three and see what they mean.

In verse 7, Solomon warns us to leave the company of foolish people: those who don't have "lips of knowledge," those who are foolish and deceive themselves, and those who think sin is a laughing matter.

First, a foolish person may have conversation that is not profitable nor edifying. (Eph. 4:29) If that person's words are corrupt, or a bad influence on us, then we need to leave that person's company.  We can ask gently and kindly that the person "clean up" their conversation, but if they will not, then sometimes the best witness we can be is to graciously leave their company.

Second, foolish people often deceive themselves. It is important for us to understand our "way" and Solomon means our course in life --- our pathway. It's been said in many hymns and songs that we are travelers, and so we need to avoid distractions like being critical of others, and being busybodies. We should  instead observe and avoid obstacles, and stay on our path. Foolish people think they are on the right path, but they deceive themselves, like the man who built his house on sand. Another who deceived himself was the man who gave no gratitude to God for his bumper crop, but congratulated himself on his prosperity and said he'd just build bigger barns.

Lastly, there are foolish people who make light of sin, and who mock Christians for their desire to avoid it. They rush into sin, they laugh about it, and encourage others to be wicked as well. In Isaiah it even says that they "call good evil, and evil good." (Is. 5:20)  The second part of the verse says "among the righteous there is favor" and I believe that means favor in two ways: the righteous have favor with God, because they repent and ask Him to forgive --- they have favor with man, because they try not to hurt or offend, and ask forgiveness when they do.

I think it's always good to be positive instead of negative, so personally, I think I'm going to strive to have good conversation, to pay attention to my pathway, and do my best to have favor with God and with the people around me! Whoa --- that's a tall order . . . I'm awfully glad the Holy Spirit is here to help me! How about you?