Daily Devotion of Proverbs 23

Daily Nugget:
“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” Proverbs 23:9 ¶

Despite our pride, many of us have been or are fools in the eyes of God. This is a very humbling thought, but it is God’s opinion, and it is the one that matters the most.

Noah Webster defined foolishness as “void of understanding or sound judgment, weak in intellect (applied to the general character), unwise, silly, vain, trifling, ridiculous, sinful….” In the book of Proverbs, at least 42 verses deal with foolishness.
Here is how God defines foolishness in Proverbs:

• A fool wants to do wrong and does not think of the consequences.
  “It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.” Proverbs 10:23
  “A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” Prov. 14:16
• A fool follows his ideas and is not concerned about others. He gets angry when others tell him what to do.
  “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” Prov. 28:26
  “A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.” Prov. 15:5
  “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.” Prov. 18:2
  “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” Prov. 23:9
  “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.” Prov. 11:29
• A fool lets his opinion be known right away.
  “A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” Prov. 29:11
  “A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.” Prov. 12:16 Also: Prov. 13:16
  “A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.” Prov. 18: 6 A fool does not know when to be silent and listen, even when his words are hurting others and causing others to be at odds with him.
  “Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” Prov. 29:20
• A fool minds everyone else’s business.
  “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.” Prov. 20:3
• A fool does not learn from his mistakes.
  “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” Prov. 26:11
• A fool does not believe there is a God. Although found in the book of Psalms, here is another person God identifies as a fool.
  “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good:” Psalms 14:1 Also Ps. 53:1

Today’s Thought: 
“There’s no fool like an old fool. You can’t beat experience!” — Author Unknown

Words to Understand:
Contention: arguing against other’s opinions: at odds with another
Dainties: choice food

Today’s Reading:
Proverbs 23
1 ¶ When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4 ¶ Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6 ¶ Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 ¶ Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 ¶ Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12 ¶ Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 ¶ Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 ¶ Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29 ¶ Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.