Proverbs 12:16-23 I Pity the Fool

4/26/10

Time Spent: 22 min

Main Idea: The way of the fool is contrasted with the way of the prudent.

What I Learned about God: A person's love for God is told through the individual's use of words in his life.

Summary: The way of the fool and the way of the prudent are characterized against each other. The way that they act against each other is seen through the choice of words that they use. The Proverbs state that the way of the fool is reactive: showing that he cannot take criticism or a joke very well. However, the way of wisdom shows that the prudent is the one who can ignore such things, while storing up righteousness within his heart. Verses 17 and 20 state that a man's heart is stored within his words, and thus the words that are spoken to him and the words spoken against him will be determining factor as to what is really characteristic of the man.

Application: I do not think I am a particularly wise guy. I have trouble listening to advice and also react at a joke. Sometimes, even when the Spirit prompts me to not say anything, the thoughts that come into my mind are no good. I realize that there is something wrong within my soul and in my dealings with people. I need to learn the way of wisdom in reacting and dealing with people. I can start doing that through spending more time in prayer. Somehow, all of my applications are about prayer and I don't think that's by coincidence. I realize that a lot of my problems would be solved if I had just devoted more time in prayer. To do this, I am going to pray everyday for 5 min a day at least when I wake up.

Amount Owed: $4 : (