THE WISDOM FOOLISH CONTRAST
Proverbs 10:8 and 19
8 The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
If you read yesterday's devotional and thought that maybe I skipped Proverbs chapter nine, you would have been correct. I have no excuses to offer. This happened before I lost an hour of sleep. Nevertheless, today, we are back on track.
This is one of those ‘but’ proverbs. Please don't jump to conclusions and allow me to explain. Many of the verses in this chapter follow the pattern of our two verses for today. Solomon makes a statement and then says ‘but’ and follows with a contrasting truth.
So verse ten says that the wise in heart will receive commands. But a prating fool or the foolish of lips will fall or come to ruin. The contrast is seen between the wise person and the foolish. And this contrast is one way you can tell the difference. Someone who is wise will receive commands. The wise receive; they simply are not focused on doing their own thing regardless of what other people may think. I have always measured how someone received coaching or a directive. A wise person may ask questions, but once clear, they are receptive.
A foolish person is recognized by the words coming out of their mouth. God's wisdom places a high value on words, and foolish words are detrimental to someone's well-being.
Our second verse offers another contrast that is even more connected. The subject is words. And the person who is always talking is more prone to sinning. While the person who restrains his lips is wise. When I had a sales career, most people thought that a good salesperson was a good talker. A good salesperson is a good listener, and fewer words are usually more effective.
The ability to control the amount and content of their words is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a wise person.
APPLICATION
The primary theme of the book of Proverbs is wisdom. God's wisdom is more valuable than money. And directly connected to wisdom are the words of our mouth. The book of Proverbs is also very direct in the contrast of the foolish person versus the wise. Sometimes, to better see what to do, we have to see the opposite - what not to do and Proverbs handles this well.
So, the lessons of wisdom for today that we can put into practice are to be a person who receives commands from God's Word and counsel from wise people. And to be a person keenly aware of the power of our words so that, when in doubt, we use them sparingly.
PRAYER
Lord, help me put a watch on my mouth. I want my words to be filled with love, faith, and wisdom.