The Wise and the Foolish

I woke up early in the AM unable to sleep. This happens to me quite often. I don’t know why. Sometimes it is obvious, I am worrying about something I shouldn’t be worrying about. But this night there was nothing. My brain just wanders.

What I usually do to combat this is pray. This works almost every time ,but this is the thing………my prayers take at least an hour because I am constantly going off task! HA!

Does this happen to you?

You start a prayer, thanking the Lord for his marvelous wonders, his awesome creation…………oh, like the one in UT, Bryce Canyon, Lord that was cool. My daughter was so funny hugging all the trees and asking me to take pictures………my daughter, I need to spend some more time with her, I am in the middle of that great book I am reading to her and I haven’t done it in a week. That is a good book..... but the one I am reading to myself is good too, maybe I should just read it now…………AAAAAHHHHHH!!! OFF track!

I apologize to the Lord for my lack of focus and get back on track………only for it to happen again and again. I am sure HE is rolling his eyes at me.

ANYWAY! This is not my main focus. As I lye there(is it lay or lye? This verb has always been a mystery to me!) Sorry........I began to think of my husband and son going off on their week long hike on the Appalachian Trail. I was thinking of bears and then , in the dark I just started to panic that they would meet up with one………..worry worry worry. More praying.

I finally fell back to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I picked up my Bible to read Proverbs. I read Prov. 17, one of my favorites. It has a lot in it that pertains to me personally.

Prov. 17:12 "Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly." WOW!

First I thanked God for hearing my panic and giving me a verse that has to do with my boys. But then I began to think about this verse. Can you visualize it? A mama bear who has just had her cubs taken from her. I can just see her in total destructo mode, tearing down the whole forest just to get them back. She would be something to reckon with I bet.

In contrast, can you see how God looks at a fool and his folly. WOW is all I can say, once again. If the Lord would rather have me try to stand up against a momma bear than a fool............amazing. I just don't have words to describe how I am feeling.

So what constitutes a fool? This is what my husband asked me after I told him about my night and my reading. I thought it was a great question.

Sometimes I think the fool is easy to detect, especially when I am watching TV! There are so many foolish shows on now. That is literally what I do, flip through, look at someone doing something totally dumb and say "Fool" and turn the channel. Suffice to say that I am not watching too much TV!

But seriously, how can we detect a fool? I think the biggest idea was given to me by my friend Kaye when I told her about my night. She reminded me of Psalm 14:1
"The fool says in his heart, there is no God."

Easy! There is a fool. Total fool. But what about the others? What about the ones that claim to love God? Here are some others that let us know a fool when we see one:

Pr 1:7 ".........but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
Pr 10:18"....whoever spreads slander is a fool."
Pr 13:19"......but fools detest turning from evil."
Pr 14:16 "...but a fool is hotheaded and reckless."
Pr 14:9"...but fools mock at making amends for sin."
Pr 15:5 ".....a fool spurns his fathers discipline."
Pr 15:20 "...but a foolish man despises his mother."
Pr 18:2 "a fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
Pr 20:3 "......but every fool is quick to quarrel."
Pr 28:26 "he who trusts in himself is a fool."
Pr 29:11 "a fool gives full vent to his anger


As I began writing this list, so I can spot a fool when I see one, I now realize that I am looking into a mirror! Do you see yourself as the fool? I know I do. Many times I have practiced those verses and not in the good way.


So what can we do about it? Lets look at the opposite of a fool----wisdom. Again, I think Proverb pretty much sums it up.


Proverbs 9:9 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding"

Or how about this one:

Proverbs 8:11 "For wisdom is more precious that rubies and nothing you desire can compare with her."

You know I love how the Lord uses such visual things throughout the Bible for those of us who need a visual to get it! There is such meaning in a visual picture for me. The words begin the understanding but sometimes the picture seals it up.

I am having trouble wrapping this post up, so I think I will just end as it is getting long. I pray that we all desire to seek the Lords wisdom and run, fast and far away, from a fool and his folly!

XO