A Fool and his Foolishness

(Prov 27:22 CEV)  No matter how hard you beat a fool, you can’t pound out the foolishness.

This morning we get back to our “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God” series.  I trust you enjoyed out break last week for Passion Week and that you also enjoyed your Resurrection Sunday celebration.  I will never cease to give God praise for what Jesus did for me.  My salvation is the most precious gift I have ever received.  Okay, that’s enough.  If I get to sharing about Jesus I won’t address this proverb.  So let’s get to it.

In the last proverb we dealt with (27:21) I asked the question, “What do you do when the heat is on?”  Without question, life is full of heated and pressure-packed situations and we must all learn to deal with the pressure.  In many ways pressure brings out either the best or worst in people.  In that regard we are like sponges.  When the pressure is on, whatever is IN us winds up coming OUT of us.  A man who is full of the Word of God and faith, when pressured, will activate his faith and stand on the Word.  A man who is full of foolishness, however, when pressured, will simply rely on his foolishness and do foolish things.

The Hebrew language Solomon uses here paints the picture of a mortar and pestle.  Jews were familiar with pounding wheat in order to free it from its husks and impurities, and to grind it down to be used.  But while the husks can be beaten away from the wheat, foolishness cannot be beaten away from the fool.  While it just takes a few strikes to separate the husks from the wheat, no amount of strikes will be able to separate the foolishness from the fool.  Back in chapter 22 Solomon said, “A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away” (v.15).  Solomon was teaching that a child is impressionable and he/she can be molded, shaped, and developed into a mature man/woman.  However, once the mind is molded and the person is of full age, physical discipline produces little results.  Whether the beating Solomon is talking about here is literal or figurative, the end result will be the same; the fool will continue to be foolish.  Why?  Because they have been programmed that way.

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things:

1.  Good or bad, pressure will bring out what’s IN you.  What’s in you abundantly will come out of you eventually and it will come out even quicker when the pressure is on.  The pressures of life give you an opportunity to see who you really are and where you are in your developmental process.  When faced with a pressure-packed situation, you will either be approved (having passed the test) or ashamed (realizing you are not as far along as you thought you were).

2.  Shape a child while he/she is still impressionable.  As parents we have a God-given responsibility to train our children in the way that they should go.  Don’t wait until their minds are fully formed to attempt to train and shape them, because by then it will be much harder.

3.  Change is possible, no matter how old you are.  While it is true that physical discipline will not change a grown man, change is always possible, from the inside out.  If you are still alive, then you can change.  The Word of God can help you change the way you think, feel, and make decisions.

Closing Confession:  Father, I than You for this Word.  I realize that we all face pressures in life and I can look back to see what the latest challenges I faced have exposed about who I am and where I am in my development in You.  In some areas I am happy with the progress I have made and am making.  In other areas I realize I still need a lot of work.  Since I am still alive, then You are still working on me.  I submit myself to the process of mind renewal.  I get Your Word down in my heart and I give Your Word first place.  Your Word becomes the foundation for my life and living.  I base the way I think, feel, and make decisions on Your Word.  I am willing to change and grow daily.  I am not a fool and I avoid foolish decisions, because I look to You, Your Word, and Your Spirit for guidance.  I declare this by faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!