Today I am meditating on two particular verses from Proverbs 18. The first is verse 2:
2 A [self-confident] fool has no delight in understanding but only in revealing his personal opinions and himself.
One thing that has stood out to me so clearly over the 35 years since I was first born again is this: the people who talk the most, many times, actually know the least! This Scripture supports that! Once you realize that, it will be easier for you to simply let them go, praying that the Lord will send the right harvester across their path who will be able to get through to them! The Message Bible puts it this way:
2 Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse;
all they do is run off at the mouth. THE MESSAGE
WE are told to be swift to HEAR, SLOW to speak and SLOW to wrath (James 1:19)! One of the results we have in obeying this instruction is that we are better able to recognize when it is fruitless to continue to speak. Buy up every opportunity to sow the simple, and powerful, seed of the Gospel, then pray that Holy Spirit will be able to use that seed to open the eyes of their understanding to really see the TRUTH! When you and I let go of the ones who are not ready to hear, and leave them in HIS very capable hands, HE is free to use us to reach others who are actually ready to hear! AMEN! TRUST Him! The other verse that I have been thinking over today is Proverbs 18:4:
4 The words of a [discreet and wise] man’s mouth are like deep waters [plenteous and difficult to fathom], and the fountain of skillful and godly Wisdom is like a gushing stream [sparkling, fresh, pure, and life-giving].
THIS is how WE will sound to those who are hungry and thirsty for the things of God and who desire to really know HIM! Spend your time with those who WANT what you have and let the Lord handle the others! AMEN! Also, the verse before describes the wicked, those without God who, at THIS particular time, do not want Him! Verse 3:
3 When the wicked comes in [to the depth of evil], he becomes a contemptuous despiser [of all that is pure and good], and with inner baseness comes outer shame and reproach.
I want to encourage you with something that Pastor Bill Novak has taught us at The Spoken Word Church practically from the beginning! He said that those who seem the farthest away from the Truth (180 degrees opposite) are USUALLY some of the first to come around! So, when someone YOU care about acts as the wicked in verse 3 (above) then encourage yourself and begin to praise God for the work that HE is doing in THEM! Get ready for THEM to come to HIM! AMEN! Here, to encourage you in the Lord, is Hillsong Young and Free with "Back To Life":
Shalom in Him!
