Proverbs 10:21-24 says,...

Today's verses are Proverbs 10:21-24, which read,

v.21 - The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of understanding.

This proverb gives us again one of the main differences between the wise and the fool.  The wise are thinking about others.  The wise are focused on others.  The wise are loving to others with the wisdom that is coming from them that they have received from the Lord.  Therefore the wise are feeding others with what they say.  The fool is thinking about himself.  The fool is focused on himself.  The fool is consumed with loving himself and therefore is starving because he doesn't feed himself with the wisdom from God.  

The wise is about feeding others as they are being fed by God.  The fool is about feeding himself only but they are starving themselves to death as they refuse to be fed by God.  The concept of "more for me" is counter active here because the fool doesn't realize that God's wisdom taken in to share with others is also what feeds the one who is wise. 

v.22 - It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it.  

There are plenty who are rich but are they rich with the blessing of the Lord?  Are they rich with what is rich to God?  Are they rich, even materially rich, because they have followed after God's wisdom and therefore there is no sorrow because it was obtained His way and not with ill-gotten practices?  So there is a new definition of rich that has God in the picture rather than just a material definition.  The material definition of rich is very narrow in comparison to a definition of richness that comes from God.  God's definition of richness and following after it brings also a promise to how you will feel about what you have obtained.  You will lack sorrow because it was all done in a God honoring way.

v.23 - Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, and so is wisdom to a man of understanding.

The fool loves doing wickedness.  The fool loves doing what is wrong.  The fool loves the planning to experience evil.  He laughs about it.  The wise laughs a different laugh as he loves doing righteousness.  He loves doing what is right.  He loves the planning to experience good from following after God.  His laughter is filled with the joy of the Father while the fool's laughter is filled with the deception of Satan.  

What are you laughing at?  Be very careful here because many times we start to laugh at things that we shouldn't and then those things that we are laughing at that we shouldn't transform our thinking to accepting and later approving of what is contrary to God's Word.  There are many times that instead of laughing or nervously laughing about something not pleasing to God that we should be weeping and sorrowful for the sin that is being made main stream as acceptable by all and later celebrated by all.  Let's make sure we are laughing because we are fully following after God's wisdom and all that it brings to us and others.   

v.24 - What the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

Do you want to receive what you fear or what you desire?  If you want to receive what you fear than go the wicked route.  If you want to receive what you desire than go the righteous route.  What you fear will come upon you because of the direction to have taken by rejecting God's wisdom.  What you desire will be granted to you from the One you are receiving wisdom from.  Fear is forced upon you as a given to the fool.  Desire is another given bonus from God to the wise. 

The wise feed others; the wise are rich in God that contains no sorrow toward that richness; the wise loves knowing and applying more of God's wisdom; and the wise receives from God desires.  The fool starves himself; the fool experiences sorrow as he gets rich by any means; the fool loves what is sinful; and the fool lives a life of fear because of the very life he is living.  Another side by side comparison that shows the downfalls of being a fool and the God honoring given benefits of being wise.  Let's pray.

"Lord, may I see who I am feeding today, just myself for that would be the indication of a fool, or others for that would be the indication of a wise following after You.  May I know of the no sorrow because I am following after the richness You provide Your way.  May I love Your Word.  May I experience my desires because they are coming from You as I am following after You.  Also Lord, help me not to laugh when I shouldn't be laughing and turn it into a time to pray.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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