November 13, 2026 -- Proverbs 16:22 -- The fountain of life

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Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it,
But the instruction of fools is folly.
Proverbs 16:22 ESV
 
There are plenty of examples in the Bible where the instruction of fools clearly is folly. For example, when wise King Solomon died, the people of Israel assembled and told his son, if you lighten our load, we’ll anoint you as king. Seems like a no-brainer. Appease the people and rule them. The senior advisors told him that. Youthful, foolish advisors, told him to make the burdens of the people heavier. He went with the instruction of fools and lost most of the kingdom (II Chronicles 10).
 
Face it, non-Christians will be directed by their lusts, their desires, their rebellion against God, their ego and the pressures of their peers. (Even Christians must constantly fight against such things.) The influence of evil is the natural impulse of the heart and the most only advice sinners can offer other sinners. This is repeated for us in the New Testament, “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals” (I Corinthians 15:33). Men and women who are incarcerated often need to be instructed to leave the gang, or the circle of people who led them into criminal activity. It is a huge revelation for them. Not only that, it seems like crazy-talk. Foolishness invites more folly precisely because the way of wisdom is so foreign as to seem ridiculous.
 
By way of contrast, good sense is like a spring of water that flows from a hidden to the surface. In Israel, much of which is semi-arid and requires the Spring and Fall rains for abundant harvest, a refreshing stream of continually flowing water refreshes the body and the soul. That is what prudence, or good sense, is for the one who has it. And his good sense will bless those who are near him and heed him.
 
The irony is that Jesus made clear this clear, “whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26a). Those who follow Jesus face hardships, persecution, ridicule, loneliness, rejection; but they have in Him streams of refreshment that outweighs it all. He is the joy of the whole earth. He is the soul’s peace.
 
Father in heaven, thank You for the fullness of life You have given me in Jesus. Let the light of Bible shine into my heart and conscience by Your Holy Spirit’s powerful presence. Only then will I see my every inclination to folly. Even though I know the truth, I chafe against it. Quiet my soul. Forgive me. Rescue me from myself. Restore me to the way of life so that the living water which is mine in Christ wells up in me to everlasting life. Jesus, that fountain of life, is the refreshment I always need for the journey in the paths of righteousness. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/B2QsZU4qkQc?si=jEL4_hO0npo3AO-_
 

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