Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 17:24

As we’ve seen before, wisdom comes from understanding and understanding comes from knowledge. We see these three words (knowledge, understanding and wisdom) over and over in the book of Proverbs. In the case of Proverbs 17:24 we are told that the person who has understanding will see wisdom all around them.

This verse could be read a couple of different ways I suppose. Both are valid and consistent with the text. It can mean that wisdom (personified many times in Proverbs) goes in front of and guides. Or, that wisdom is generally present with the person who has understanding.

Wisdom Guides

Wisdom is given personality in Proverbs. In the early chapters there are whole sections where wisdom speaks directly to the reader. She is there to guide those who are looking to her for direction.

To the person who has understanding, wisdom leads them to greater understanding. Knowledge is facts, but understanding is having experience with that knowledge to the point of the facts becoming intuitive. You spend less time thinking about the facts, but have a greater ability to use those facts when needed. That is understanding.

Wisdom—the skill that comes from applying understanding—will guide the person into making the right choices.

Wisdom Is Present

The more primary meaning of the words used in Proverbs 17:24 is that of wisdom being present with the person of understanding.

Do you feel comfortable in the presence of certain people? Are you uneasy in the presence of certain other people? It could be because the person has a higher perceived status than you or you just don’t like them for whatever reason. The main reason we are less comfortable with certain people is that we don’t know them as well as we do others.

We are comfortable in the presence of those we know well. Those who we consider friends or who just have a comforting presence about them. There are certain pastors that I have been with in more than 25 years of traveling church ministry that I love to get with any chance I can. I am comfortable in their presence. There are others that make me want to check to see if my tie is on straight and that I don’t have any stray hairs sticking up on my bald head. It is not because they are unkind or mean, but that I haven’t had as much personal time with them.

How familiar are you with wisdom? Has she been a consistent presence in your life to the point you are comfortable around her? Or, are you struggling to even find her?

The Bible says that wisdom can become a companion. A familiar friend. How? By learning what God’s Word says (knowledge) and gaining experience with it to the point of understanding. This is when wisdom can show up and guide. She can be part of your daily life.

But just learning God’s Word does not necessarily bring understanding and the presence of wisdom. You must apply it. Get God’s Word into your head (think right) and then apply God’s Word in your actions (do right).

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Proverbs 9:10

At some point we will have to take a look at the second half of Proverbs 17:24 where it talks about the fool searching for something, but not finding wisdom.

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Proverbs 16:3

When I was learning sign language in college I remember being introduced to this verse in a new way. I am sure I had seen it before, but the teacher applied it in a way that I had not previously thought about.

She told us that when we were interpreting we may not feel confident at first. But she would not have put us in the position to interpret if she didn’t think we were capable of the task. She was asking us to trust the confidence that she had in us. She wanted us to do what we knew how to do and our thinking and confidence would eventually come in line with our actions.

Do Right to Think Right

This isn’t about the self-help, motivational phrase that says, “Fake it till you make it!” However, I guess that popular phrase could have its roots right here in this verse.

This is also not talking about salvation and the erroneous thought that we should clean up our lives first and then God will accept us. That is theologically incorrect and not what this verse is teaching.

When we commit our works to the Lord, He will help us to think properly about what it is we are doing. That word commit means to roll. The idea is that you roll your works over to Him, take your hands off, and let Him have control.

Doing what we know is right to do is how we can learn to think clearly about the work God would have us do in this world. You don’t have to wait until you completely understand His will and plan for your life. We start with obedience to His leading and then our thoughts are established (fixed, set up, stable).

Think Right to Do Right

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

⁹ Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Philippians 4:8, 9

In these verses, Paul encourages the Philippian believers to fix their thoughts on those things that are right, true and pure. As you meditate on God’s Word then you will be prepared to do what is right.

It is not always “think right then do right,” or “do right then think right.” It is a combination of fixing your heart and mind on God’s Word and His will in your life. As you do what you know is right to do, even if you don’t fully understand it, then your thinking will be brought in line. As you meditate on those things that are right, your actions will fall in line.

Sometimes we need the confidence of another to help us do things that we would not have done on our own. Solomon is encouraging us with Proverbs 16:3 to get into action with our deeds and our thinking will come around to give us the confidence that God is in control and He is the one who establishes our right thinking.

Like my sign language teacher asking us to push ourselves in our abilities, God may sometimes ask us to do something that we are not confident in. But take confidence from the fact that He is right there with you and he wants to help you succeed in your ministry.

Proverbs 15 has several verses about the way we use words. We are given encouragement to speak kindly and rebuke for harsh words. Let’s look at six verses in two groups from this chapter.

Words Can Create or Alleviate a Conflict

¹ A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

¹⁸ A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

²³ A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

We see the truth of these words in our daily lives. Sometimes we are amazed at how well some people can speak just the right word at the right time. And, we are shocked at how unkind people can be with the harshness of their words.

Have you ever seen an angry person instantly calm down because someone said a kind word with a gentle countenance? I certainly have. It is a beautiful thing to witness. It’s even better when you are the one who was able to diffuse a volatile situation.

Then, I am sure we have also all experienced the wrong words said in the wrong way. A seemingly calm situation can quickly escalate into a brawl by someone saying just a few words. Sometimes it doesn’t even take words, but body language or a certain look can create a storm of anger.

I remember one time, my brother and I were staying in a hotel as we were traveling. As soon as we got out of the car in the parking lot, a man came over and started yelling at us and throwing punches. Since the count was 2 to 1, we had no problem restraining the guy. When it was all said and done, the guy said that he was angry because of the way I looked at him. Honestly, I never even saw him. I probably had a goofy look on my face trying to see the room numbers to know which one was ours.

The funny part of the story, and the reason I love telling it, was while we had the guy restrained, a friend of his jumped in to help him out. I was holding the guy’s legs and my brother was holding his upper body. When the “helpful” friend came over, he grabbed my brother and yanked him away causing my brother to drop his half of the fight starter. When the “don’t like your look” guy’s head slammed into the ground that pretty much ended the fight as he was whining on the asphalt.

What’s Inside Comes Out When Squeezed

² The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

⁷ The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

²⁸ The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

These verses make me think of the New Testament words of Christ when He said that out “of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45) Whatever is inside of you will come out. And, especially when some type of pressure is applied in your life.

These verses tell us that the wise disperse knowledge and they take time in forming their answer. But fools overflow with foolishness and the wicked with wickedness.

The more you fill your mind and heart with God’s Word and His wisdom, the kinder and wiser your words will be when you are squeezed.

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

Proverbs 14:15

Fake News of Old

It seems like we have heard so much talk about “fake news” the last few years. But I remember learning about fake news when I was a kid. Does anyone remember reading the headlines on National Enquirer and thinking they were real? Mom had to teach me that not everything you see in print—especially the magazines at the checkout counter in the grocery store—should be believed.

Bizarrely, I was in the grocery store this morning and noticed some of the same magazine titles on the racks at checkout. Apparently they sell enough that the companies can keep printing them. There may be some people buying them for the humor, but I can only imagine that most readers believe what they are reading from those publications.

Internet Hoaxes

Then we had the dawn of email. Were you surprised when we didn’t all get rich by forwarding emails from Bill Gates that promised to give us $1 for every person the email was forwarded to? Or, more recently, did you have to try and make your broom stand on it’s bristles during the spring equinox?

For several years it seemed like you could pick out a new internet user based on what they are sharing on social media or forwarding through email. But then I see some people sharing known hoaxes and happen to know they aren’t new to the internet. They are gullible and believe everything they read.

Nothing New Under the Sun

Solomon, the writer of Proverbs, also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. In that book he tells us there is nothing new under the sun.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

We’ve seen false news and information over and over in our lifetime. It certainly had to be around in Solomon’s time. Otherwise he would not have given the warning that he gave in Proverbs 14:15. He is encouraging us to pay attention to the information that comes our way.

Mainstream Media

I cringe every time I hear the phrase “fake news.” People seem to use it to mean that there is some type of malicious intent in spreading false information. Well, of course there is malicious intent. This is not new. People have been spreading lies for centuries.

Solomon reminds us that we should not believe everything we hear. We can’t trust everything we watch on the evening news either. And, if you are getting your news more than once a day, you certainly can’t believe that everything they are saying on a 24-hour news channel is true.

Be Wise in Your Information Consumption

The simple believe every word, Solomon says. Even if you mostly agree with the media source, you should watch it with a skeptical mind. We have heard preachers say for many years, “you shouldn’t believe everything I say just because I say it. You should research the Bible yourself and see if what I am saying lines up with what the Bible says.” And we agree with that. Yet, so often we will hear a statement on TV, or said by someone online, and believe it to the point of getting into arguments about something we really know nothing about.

Don’t be like the simple one in Proverbs 14:15. Take time to find out if the “facts” you are believing and quoting are indeed factual.

In college I remember hearing a couple of statements that went something like this:

Tell me the books you read and the friends you keep and I will tell you where you will be in five years.

You are a combination of the books you read and the companions you keep.

And long before that, when I was a young teenager, I heard this one often from my youth pastor:

You are now, or soon will be, what your friends are.

Whether you think so or not, you are strongly influenced by your friends and the things you fill your mind with. Maybe we should substitute YouTubers in place of the books you are reading. Either way, the idea is that these are the things that fill your mind and influence your thinking.

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Proverbs 13:20

Interestingly the verse uses the words walk and companion in distinct ways. To walk here means to go in the way of someone. The idea is that you have a purpose and destination. But companion is the idea of pasturing together like cattle. Or, in common language, to hang out.

Who are your friends? What is it you are filling your mind and your time with?

Isn’t it interesting that young people will often say that they want to be their own person and not have someone else tell them how to talk or what to wear. The whole time they are telling you that, they are dressed just like the friends they are hanging out with. It is easy (and sometimes comical) to see how young people are influenced by their companions.

Yet, often we ignore that 40 year-olds and 75 year-olds are also influenced by their companions and those things they allow to fill their mind. When you start paying attention you will see 50 year-olds bending to peer pressure as willingly as a teenager.

What are you watching on TV (or YouTube)? What are you reading? Are those things helping you grow into the Christian you should be? If not, don’t you think it is about time to start becoming the mature Christian you thought you would have been by now?

Another quote that I’ve had rolling around my head since my early teen years:

You are now, or soon will be, what your friends are.

Be careful to walk with wise men and not be a companion of fools.