“27. He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. 28. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
As a watercraft officer there were many different circumstances that would be dealt with on a day-to-day basis. It was one very sad day for a young family that was canoeing down a river in a neighboring state. The young mother removed the life jacket of the 17-month-old toddler to tend to his needs when the canoe suddenly flipped over. The local agency requested our assistance, but the operation was nothing more than a recovery rather than a rescue by the time we made it to the scene. Talk about a tough situation. Though many times a boater would ask, “how do you get a job like that?” This was not the day for fun and excitement. There was a very quiet spirit among the deputies, natural resource officers, fire departments, and volunteers as efforts were made to bring closure to the family.
There was one particular volunteer that stood out above most everyone on scene. He seemed a bit obnoxious as I observed him trying to have conversation with all the law enforcement officers on scene. He was loud, outspoken, and trying to tell the natural resource officers about all of his hunting experiences that he has had in the field over the years. He even tried to share some things with me about his hunting experiences, but this was just not the time or place. It was very frustrating when arriving home later that night to find this same guy being interviewed as the evening highlight on the local news channels. How unprofessional, how immature! If you could label anyone a fool, it was definitely this guy. All of our hearts were breaking for the family as the little boy was recovered days later.
Looking back at Proverbs it says, “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise…” Its easy to find a fool, he’s the one that is always talking. Everything is about him. It was obvious that this guy probably sticks out in every crowd regardless of the situation. However, if he could have learned to simply be quiet on that day, no one would have noticed his immature and unprofessional actions.
How is your language? Are you good at being quiet? Ecclesiastes 3:1,7 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;” Do you seek God for wisdom on a day to day basis? There are so many situations that we believers deal with in life that cause us to look like fools. How often is it you say something mean to your wife because your frustrated about something else, or your hard on your kids for something they did when in reality your disobeying God worse than they are disobeying you. Maybe at work your backbiting toward someone you don’t like or your spirit could be a little better when dealing with an employee. Lord, help us control our tongue! “…and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” You will be amazed at what you will learn in life when you learn to hold your tongue and just listen. Are you living in the Word of God today? When we read through Proverbs God continually tells us to keep our mouths closed in many situations. What are people seeing in your life today as a believer? Do you have knowledge? When you dont have knowledge you are counted a fool! Learn to be quiet and only speak when the time is right! “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
Memory Verse
Proverbs 17:27-28
“He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”
