S159P3 – Warnings against foolishness: every fool revealed
Pro. 13:15-16
Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard. Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool lays open his folly.
The world is full of charlatans, and we know this. We have heard of and maybe even have experienced false teachers who eventually are unveiled as such. Perhaps you have had a friend who lived a fake life for a long time before you found out who that person really was. There is no shortage of people who try to present themselves as something other than what they are. For some, this is just a case of faking it until making it. The hope is that one day they will become what they pretend to be. For others, there is no desire ever to remove the mask. Their hope is that they will be able to fool people forever, never showing who they really are. For those who are spiritually foolish, there will be no way to keep up the charade for long.
There will come a day when every fool is exposed. It is the same day when every wise child of God will be glorified. Before then, many fools will be unveiled through the Spirit’s discernment. These verses speak of the fruit of foolishness. They help us get an indication of who walks with wisdom and who does not. One way that a fool lays open his folly is simply by the fruit of his actions. For those who are wise, this fruit will be clear. We know what the word says about good fruit which comes from good spiritual discipline. The life of the fool will display something else, but it takes discernment to see this. After all, a fool practicing evil ways for his own gain can present quite a picture of success and favor.
Those who subscribe to the world’s ways might envy the life of the evil fool. They see things they want instead of seeing things they should shun. The folly of the fool might appeal to them. Those who know better through the Spirit’s discernment eventually will see the truth behind the mask. The bad fruit will be their tip-off. That glittery façade will lose its luster and reveal a dull, dusty heap of nothing. Even for those who love the Lord but still act foolishly, they also can expect that their folly will be revealed. No evil and no fool will go hidden forever. Father, thank You for the discernment to know the fools from the wise ones, and expose to us any foolishness we still practice.