I PITY THE FOOL! Most of us who were teens in the 80’s quoted Mr. T’s famous words, “I pity the fool!” These words ringed from playgrounds around the US. I’m not sure who he considered a fool, but I can tell you who the Bible considers a fool. Hear the words of Jesus,
“And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”” Mark 7:20-23
“FOOLISHNESS” is mentioned with adultery, murder and theft. Huh? Why? Foolishness involves a lack of moral integrity, intellectual understanding and spiritual discernment that results from having a revelatory knowledge of God and His ways, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge”, or in layman’s terms, “My people are destroyed for foolishness”. The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom, aka, “how to not be a foolish person.” I read a proverb a day, since there are 31 proverbs. But you can’t just read it, you have to apply the Word of God to your life. Hear a portion of today’s wisdom,
“When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things, From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;” Proverbs 2:10-13
When wisdom enters your heart, (Seek and apply) then it will preserve you from evil. The fruit of seeking and applying wisdom will preserve you from foolishness. I read a great quote, “people go wrong in their fellowships before they go wrong in their doctrine.” Wisdom preserves you from relationships that you should not enter into. But will you be wise or will you be the fool?
Here are a few things Proverbs says about the fool: a fool speaks all his mind; a fool has no desire in understanding, only to please his own heart; a fool will not regard sound wisdom; a fool perverts his way; a fool spends all his substance; a fool vents his spirit and rejects instruction; a fool is right in his own eyes; a fool returns to his folly; a fool says there is no God, but a fool also lacks a fear of the Lord. Read a proverb a day and find out more of what God considers foolishness.
Then apply your heart to understanding. If you continue to be foolish, the Word says that SHAME is the promotion of fools. If you or anyone you know are a fool, there’s help! You must humble yourself before the Lord and others. Pray and ask for guidance, wisdom and instruction. Ask Him for wisdom in any given situation. The Lord will hear and answer. You don’t have to be pitied as a fool.
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