Read
6Sending a message by a fool
is like chopping off your foot
just to spite yourself.
7A fool with words of wisdom
is like an athlete
with legs that can't move.
8Are you going to honor a fool?
Why not shoot a slingshot
with the rock tied tight?
9A thornbush waved around
in the hand of a drunkard
is no worse than a proverb
in the mouth of a fool.
10It's no smarter to shoot arrows
at every passerby
than it is to hire a bunch
of worthless nobodies.
11 Dogs return to eat their vomit,
just as fools repeat
their foolishness.
12There is more hope for a fool
than for someone who says,
“I'm really smart!”
Reflect
In this social media age where memes are king, how many times a day do you see a graphic on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram of a proverbial quote against the backdrop of a sunset or a forest or a river, etc., etc.? Without casting any judgment on those who post these pictures, do you ever find yourself wondering if the person posting the quote actually abides by it, or even fully understands it? Personally, I find it particularly strange when any non-Christian friend of mine posts a Bible verse out of context and perhaps without even realizing its origin.
In many ways, those situations remind me of the ones mentioned in the first four verses of this passage. But let’s shy away from using these verses to judge others and instead turn them on ourselves.
I grew up going to church programs like AWANA and Pioneer Girls, and every week, we memorized at least two (if not three or four) Bible verses and had to recite them to our leaders in order to get points or stickers or whatever the current type of reward happened to be. Over the course of about ten years, that’s a lot of verses. But what good is it if I don’t understand what I’ve memorized. I don’t want to be someone who mindlessly quotes Bible verses (or catchy proverbs), but doesn’t listen to what is being said.
Without action, words are just words. Make sure that the advice you give, the Scripture you memorize, the quotes you recite, and all the other words you say don’t just remain as words; resolve to be a person of action. Not a fool, but a child of God.
Respond
Father God, thank you for giving us your Holy Word. I ask that you will help me to not just read it, memorize it, and quote it, but help me to live it. Help me to be a person of action for your kingdom. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Larissa Benfey
Larissa is a Toronto based actor and writer who has dabbled in everything from scripts to short stories, and is now setting her sights on novels. Having studied English and history at Tyndale University and Seminary, she loves a good story, but her favorite stories always have happy endings - which is part of why she loves the true story of the Gospel so much.