Ouch!!

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about a “fool”. This word is used again and again to describe the personality and behavior of one who walks away from God. I personally think the word “fool” is a good word to use in our culture today, much better than “idiot” or “stupid” or “dumb” and I think I like it because it is a biblical word. What is a fool? One definition of a fool is a person who acts unwisely or imprudently. That’s a good definition but I think we have to go a little deeper and ask ourselves, “But why?” Why does he act so foolishly? I believe the foolishness is on the “inside”…it is a reflection of a character without God and God’s influence. One of the more interesting verses to me is Proverbs 27:22: “Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.” The imagery here is so painful. A mortar and pestle will grind something to fine powder…but the fine powder is still made up of the same “stuff” as before. The internal character of the “stuff” or the person is the same.

Doesn’t this help to explain why we say things like, “Hasn’t he hit rock bottom already?” or “How could she still be like this after all that has happened to her?” The problem is not the external consequences but the internal makeup of the fool. You can grind and grind and grind the fool but that won’t change what is on the inside. When people look to God for help, for transformation, they can be changed, from the inside out. So if you know someone who seems to be described by the verse above, pray and ask God to help you see how you can help him/her.

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