Tiny Devotional for Saturday, 11/14/2020

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors out there in Internet Land! And to family members who dropped by, coffee and a banana, and leftovers if you like.

Leave the presence of a fool,
Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
Proverbs 14:7, NASB

Discernment Issues

I’m sitting here this morning, wondering at the marvelous complexity of these words.

I’m also contemplating the times that I have been in extended contact with fools.

I’m also contemplating Kenneth; it’s his 16th birthday, and he’s really playing it low-key. But, with respect to THIS verse, I’m thinking about the fact that every day we send our kids off to school, and there they encounter fools, and they CAN’T leave their presence.

Notice that the outcome statement is not “or you will get into trouble.” That would specifically address consequences of behavior; and yes, sometimes the innocent are caught in the wrong place, so that formulation also has value. 

However, this verse says something inside YOU changes in the presence of a fool. Paul wrote a similar statement:

Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals. 
I Corinthians 15:33, NASB

I’d prefer a guarantee that if I am a righteous person, I will infect all my surroundings with righteousness. That CAN be the case! What’s the key?

I re-examine the verse. Perhaps the answer is in the term “presence.” When we say a person has presence, we mean they are charismatic; they attract others. “Company,” in the New Testament quote, also implies a gathering, does it not?

Contact is inevitable; affiliation is a choice.

How do you avoid affiliation with a fool? Run some wisdom by them, and observe. Speak truth, in love; and pump out wisdom.

That should take care of it.

Peace be on your household.

Comments

  1. George PhilliesNovember 14, 2020 at 8:06 PM

    I see you have wandered from Proverbs into the New Testament.

    ReplyDelete

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