WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MAY 27, 2024
TOPIC: HOW TO RELATE TO A FOOL (2)
BY T. O. BANSO
“He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence” (Proverbs 26:6 New King James Version).
Yesterday, we looked at some ways to relate to a fool according to the Bible. We considered the following:
1. Don’t argue with a fool.
2. Don’t try to talk sense to a fool.
3. Don’t try to knock some sense into a fool.
4. Answer a fool according to his folly and don’t answer a fool according to his folly.
As I said yesterday, the description of a fool in the Bible is different from that of the world. A professor could be a fool by Bible standards if he manifests the characteristics of a fool, which include being hot-tempered, engaging in foolish arguments, slandering others, hating knowledge, rejecting instructions, and making a mock of sin.
Below are other ways to relate to a fool:
5. Don’t give a fool a message to deliver. Whoever gives a message to a fool to deliver does so at his peril. Such a person should be ready for the consequences. A fool will mess up the errand.
Proverbs 26:6 says, “He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence” (New King James Version). In other words, giving a message to a fool to deliver is self-inflicted harm! The person sending a message through a fool should know that he will do a bad job. Proverbs 26:6, in the Contemporary English Version, says, “Sending a message by a fool is like chopping off your foot just to spite yourself.”
Don’t send a fool if you have a message to be delivered. Look for a wise person to send. The Easy-to-Read Version renders Proverbs 26:6 thus: “Never let a fool carry your message. If you do, it will be like cutting off your own feet. You are only asking for trouble.”
6. Don’t honour a fool. While you should not dishonour any human being because 1 Peter 2:17 says to honour all people, it is improper to honour a fool. Proverbs 26:1 says, “As snow in summer and rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool” (Proverbs 26:1 New King James Version). The Easy-to-Read Version says, “Just as snow should not fall in summer, nor rain at harvest time, so people should not honor a fool.” Snow in summer and rain in harvest are unnatural and unusual or strange. As it is wrong to have snow in summer and rain in harvest, so is giving honour or respect to a fool.
Ecclesiastes 10:5-6 says, “There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones” (New International Version). Fools don’t deserve honour.
Considering the characteristics of a fool that the Bible shows us, it would be wrong to show honour to a fool. For instance, a fool says there is no God. Why should anyone honour such a person? That will be an endorsement of his folly. He will think he is wise and increase his folly.
Proverbs 26:8 says, “Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot” (New Living Translation). Given the havoc that a fool can cause, he should not be honoured. A fool should not be celebrated. He doesn’t value and cannot use honour given to him well. The Easy-to-Read Version says, “Showing honor to a fool is as bad as tying a rock in a sling.” Don’t give honour to a fool. Fools deserve shame, not honour. “The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame” (Proverbs 3:35 New International Version).
7. Don’t hire a fool. Proverbs 26:10 says, “Hiring a fool or a stranger who is just passing by is dangerous—you don’t know who might get hurt” (Easy-to-Read Version). It is dangerous to employ the services of a fool. He will cause great damage. This instruction will be better appreciated if one understands who a fool is by Bible standards. The New Living Translation says, “An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots at random.” The New King James renders the verse differently: “The great God who formed everything gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.”
An archer who shoots randomly is dangerous. He can kill anyone. A Syrian soldier who randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops, hit the king of Israel, Ahab, between the joints of his armor, and he eventually died from the injury (1 Kings 22:34-35; 2 Chronicles 18:33-34). Don’t hire a fool. He will cause havoc. Your life, the lives of others, business, property, etc. are at risk.
8. Leave the presence of a fool. Proverbs 14:7 says, “Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge” (English Standard Version). The New King James Version says, “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.”
Words of knowledge do not come out of the mouth of a fool. Proverbs 12:23 says, “A prudent man conceals knowledge but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness” (New King James Version). A fool cannot give what he doesn’t have. Fools hate knowledge (Proverbs 1:22). A fool cannot speak words of knowledge because he has not stored them in his heart. Proverbs 15:7 says, “The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the heart of the fool does not do so” (New King James Version). Leave the presence of a fool, for you will hear only foolish things from him. Make better use of your time.
9. Don’t associate with a fool. Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (New King James Version). Don’t associate with fools. Don’t make fools your friends. The latter part of this verse, in the New Living Translation, says, “Associate with fools and get in trouble.”
Fools can put one in trouble. The association can lead to ruin or destruction. Beware of keeping company with fools. Proverbs 12:26 says the righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray. Don’t choose fools as your friends.
Conclusion: Learn to relate to fools the Bible way. Also, don’t be a fool; and pray that your children will not be fools. Proverbs 17:21 says “The parent of a fool has grief, and the father of a godless fool has no joy” (GOD’S WORD Translation). In other words, having a fool for a child will bring grief rather than joy. As Proverbs 15:5 says, a fool despises his father’s instruction, but he who receives correction is prudent. Pray for your children and bring them up in the way of the Lord. Train them in the way they should go; when they are old, they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). Relate to fools according to the Word of God.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to relate to fools the way I should. My children will not be fools in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
