Foolish Speech

 Foolish Speech

May 31, 2026

Proverbs 17:28 (NASB95) Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

`The early American version of this, possibly from Mark Twain or Abraham Lincoln, goes something like this:

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt”.

We were talking yesterday about wise speech, so it’s only fitting that we follow it up with a discourse on foolish speech. I grew up in west central Illinois, which was near to where both Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain lived, so I can readily believe that one or both of them used this proverb. They were both known for their wit and their type of dry humor was common to the Midwest. And neither tolerated fools easily. Lincoln also spoke of honesty and lying:

“I never encourage deceit, and falsehood, especially if you have got a bad memory, is the worst enemy a fellow can have. The fact is truth is your truest friend, no matter what the circumstances are."

That’s one problem the fool has. When you lie, you have to have a good memory to keep your story straight. The honest man only has to remember the truth. The foolish man tries to cover over his sins with a lie, but the truth will out. Jesus said that this is like building a house on sand.

Matthew 7:26 (NASB95)

“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

True words and righteous actions build a life on a solid foundation. I’m grateful that I was raised in a family and community that valued goodness and honesty. The frivolous speech of the fool stands out in such an environment. So don’t act the fool, as they say. Don’t be a chattering fool but hold your tongue until you have something true to say.

 

Wise Speech

 Wise Speech

May 49, 2926

Proverbs 13:3 (NKJV) He who guards his mouth preserves his life, [But] he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 15:28 (NKJV) The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

These proverbs reflect another cardinal rule in my father’s house; “Never speak unless you have something to say.” This rule was a complete mystery to my wife when we got married. In her home, the rule was pretty much the exact opposite! In the Huber household, the loudest and first to speak got to be heard. Not so on the Illinois farms. There we contemplated and kept silent, and when something of note came to mind we spoke when there was an opportunity. Of course, children never spoke when adults were speaking, and adults never spoke a word until no one else was talking. You waited for a gap in the conversation before you dared to offer a word of your own. Needless to say, it took me awhile to fit into my new in-law’s family, but eventually, I learned to speak up occasionally, though after 50 years, I’m still considered the quiet one in the family.

But back to our scripture, our society today is saturated with speech; radio, TV, podcasts, and most of all, political ads. What a cacophony of words assaults us at every turn. The proverbs of Solomon remind us of the value of quiet contemplation. Many of us could profit by taking some time to study how to answer and guard our mouth. Yesterday, we spoke of forgiveness, and that reminds us that many offenses could be avoided in the first place if we just stopped to think before we spoke a careless word. Jesus spoke of idle words which would lead to consequences:

Matthew 12:35-37 (NKJV) 

35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and anevil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

So consider how you speak. Speak words of life and spread peace where you can. An encouraging word can go a long way to soothing the troubled waters of your life.

Wisdom

 Wisdom

May 28,2026

Proverbs 9:9-10 (NKJV) 

9 Give [instruction] to a wise [man,] and he will be still wiser; Teach a just [man,] and hewill increase in learning. 10 “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One [is] understanding.

This is one of my favorite proverbs. My birthday was yesterday, and I do hope that I have learned some wisdom in my 77 years (That’s two 7’s, double perfection!) Certainly, in all my learning, I have learned one thing, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I have observed many who proclaim themselves wise, but who’s deeds end in destruction. But the man who is truly wise honors the Lord with all of his being, and prospers in a way that the wicked cannot know.

Another scripture that speaks of seventy and seven is in Matthew 18:

Matthew 18:21-22 (NKJV) 

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me,and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

There is also great wisdom in this verse. One thing I have learned in all my years is that forgiveness is the oil that soothes relationships and is essential to maintaining a happy life. I have seen many lives ruined through unforgiveness and bitterness. How much misery could be avoided if people would learn the wisdom of forgiveness! So if you would permit me to teach you one thing from my 77 years, let if be this, that “to err is human, but to forgive is Devine”, but even humans can forgive when they appeal to heaven for grace and love. I have many faults, but this one thing I have learned; fear the Lord and forgive your brother, and you will be much happier and wiser for it.

Spiritual Wisdom

 Spiritual Wisdom

March17, 2026

1 Corinthians 2:13-16 (NKJV) 

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but whichthe Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them,] because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is [rightly] judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

“Foolishness”. We can look around today and see lots and lots of teaching by natural men, that is rational men, and the Lord says that it is foolishness. True wisdom comes from the Spirit of God but cannot be discerned by the rational mind. The world today is in dire need of true wisdom.  Paul goes on in chapter 3 to talk about sectarianism in the church. Divisions between people continue to be a source of foolishness among the people. There are many teaching things today with the intent of dividing the populace. There are all sorts of reasons to be pro-Trump or anti-Trump; to be pro-Israel or anti-Israel; to be for the police to against the police, etc. It’s the devil’s strategy to divide people it is the wisdom of the Holy Spirit that seeks to bring unity. We desperately need that unity today. The forces of evil are readily apparent all around and so the people of God need to be unified in order to oppose evil and advocate for the good. But with all the sectarianism in the church today, we can’t even all agree on what is the good! Lord, teach us your ways and give us the mind of Christ that we can have true wisdom and unity to bring the word of the gospel to the nations.

Manifold LIght

 Manifold Light

February 13, 2026

Ephesians 3:8-10

8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles theunfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light ^g5461 what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold ^g4182 wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.

Paul compares his preaching of the gospel to bringing light to the nations (gentiles). He also describes this gospel as a mystery bringing the manifold wisdom of God. Now this is an interesting phrase, manifold wisdom. The underlying meaning of the Greek word  polupoikilos  is multicolored or various. From physics, we know that what we see as white light is actually made up of many frequencies and a prism can separate these out into a spectrum of rainbow colors. That is what Paul is talking about here. In preaching the gospel, he was bringing light to the nations, and not just a simple or dim glow, but a bright and multicolored light that illuminated various aspects of the wisdom of God. The gospel message is basic in its simplicity, but manifold in it’s application to various areas of life. We also need to preach a gospel that applies to every aspect of life.

Paul goes on to say that this gospel not only brings wisdom to the church but also informs the rulers and authorities in heavenly places that the kingdom of God has come. These worldly authorities are no longer in charge. When we look around he world today, we see many evil powers that are trying to subjugate the world, but we need to continue to preach the gospel that Paul preached so that they are put on notice that there is a new sherif in town, a new king is in charge, and that their days of evil rule are coming to an end. 

The way Jesus put it, we are salt and light.

Matthew 5:13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be madesalty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyonelight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Salt flavors and purifies and light cleanses and illuminates. The gospel of the kingdom brings light to the nations and freedom for the captives. The people of the nations need this word of manifold wisdom of God so that they can live in the light and be delivered from the darkness. So don’t give in to the dark messages of the world, but preach the message of light. Be salt and light and help bring the kingdom of God into all aspects or colors of this world.

________________________________________________

g5461. φωτίζω phōtizō ; from 5457; to shine, give light:--

bring to light(2), brought(1), enlightened(3), enlightens(1), illumine(1), illumined(2), illumines(1), light(1).

g4182. πολυποίκιλος polupoikilos ; from 4183 (various) and 4164 (colors); of differing colors:--

manifold(1).

Wisdom and Salt

 Wisdom and Salt

Sept 2,2025

Colossians 4:5-6

5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Well, Labor Day has come and gone, so it’s back to work or school for most of you. Just a reminder der that we need to conduct ourselves with wisdom in relating to people. Know how to speak to people with grace, as with words seasoned with salt. Be salt and light to the world and bring a little grace and peace to your corner of the world,

High Anxiety

 Anxiety 

April 12, 2025

Proverbs 12:25 (NASB95) 

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.

Psalm 42:11 (NASB95)

11 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The helpof my countenance and my God.

Philippians 4:6 (NASB95)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Matthew 6:31-34 (NASB95) 

31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

“The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO. Don’t be Weak! Don’t be Stupid! Don’t be a PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!). Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!”

President Donald J. Trump, April 7, 2025 on Truth Social

There has been a lot of anxiety in the land this week. President Trump even invented a new word, “Panican”, to describe it. But the Bible says a lot about anxiety and despair. Jesus made it a command, “Do not worry”. Now this command is not in the sense of Alfred E. Newman, “What me worry?” Of Mad Magazine many years ago, who was just oblivious to everything going on around him. No, Jesus told us not to worry because we hope in God and trust in Him for all we need. Our current world looks at things more in the light of Mel Brooke’s movie “High Anxiety”. We are anxious about everything and are in a panic about the future. The president’s words are wise in this context. “Don’t be a panican… Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient…” 

As always, the Proverbs offer wise advice for every situation. In Proverbs 12, we read “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad.” This surely is a word for our time. Lots of people are going around with a heavy heart, worried about all sorts of things. But wisdom says to take heart, be glad, be thankful, and make your requests known to God. There is great power in prayer and supplication. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need and is faithful to provide for us, so don’t be a “panican”, but trust in the Lord, even in uncertain times. Strength, courage and patents will see us through when we seek first the Kingdom of God and have faith is His love and provision for us.

Wisdom

 Wisdom

April 1, 2025

Proverbs 1:1-7 (NASB95) 

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, 3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; 4 To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge anddiscretion, 5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

April 1 seems like an appropriate day to talk about wisdom. Some say that April Fools Day originated in the 16th CenturyLink when the Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian calendar and New Year’s Day was moved from the spring (about March 25) to January 1. Those who still celebrated New Years in the Spring were called April Fools. A Spring new year also is in line with the Hebrew liturgical calendar in which the first month is Nisan, which starts at the first new moon in the Spring. Passover follows on the 15th of Nisan, which would be at the full moon. I’m just speculating here, but there may have also been some antisemitism in the April Fools tradition to make fun of anyone who followed the Jewish calendar. Anyway, April 1 is traditionally called April Fools Day, for better or worse.

Of course, the Bible is against foolishness. Proverbs in particular  dedicates many verses to extolling the virtues of wisdom and admonishing against being foolish. But exactly what is wisdom? It is separate from knowledge. We have many schools and universities dedicated to knowledge, but how many of them teach wisdom? It seems to be less and less, but if you search diligently, you can find a teacher that will teach you wisdom. Learning knowledge does not preclude wisdom, but by itself, knowledge does not impute wisdom. Wisdom is knowing how to apply knowledge.  One popular saying is “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in your fruit salad!” Solomon tells us that a wise man will increase in learning, so wisdom and knowledge can go together. But he also tells us that wisdom come from the fear of the Lord and accepting discipline. There are many who proclaim themselves the most knowledgeable elite, but they refuse to accept reproof. Indeed, they even refuse to debate the facts of the matter. This is the opposite of wisdom. A wise man is always open to discussing knowledge and is open to the possibility that his understanding of the matter is incorrect. 

That is also the basis for true science where every hypothesis must be tested by experiment, and a hypothesis that fails to be proved by real life experiments must be modified or discarded.  The modern phrase “Trust the science” is the exact opposite of this. True science is always open to challenge and “facts” can change if the reality of experimental science shows that they are not correct.

With God, we don’t rely on experimental facts, but we trust in the revelation of the Holy Spirit and the written word in the Bible. Any idea that doesn’t line up with these guide posts cannot be regarded as fact. Our reality is not everything that we see and hear, but is the eternal truths revealed to us by the One True God, the creator of the Universe. Faith comes from believing the Word of the Lord, and wisdom comes from acting on that Word in spite of what we see. Abram didn’t see any children in his future, but when God called him Abraham, the father of nations, he believed that it was true and acted on that faith. He was a wise man, and in time, Isaac was born and Israel indeed became a great nation. So you should strive to be a wise 

The Wisdom of Silence

 The Wisdom of Silence

March 17,2025

Proverbs 17:27-28 (NASB95) 

27 He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Today is St. Patrick’s day, so maybe something a little lighter to consider; the wisdom of silence. Proverbs speaks much about wisdom and Proverbs 17 talks about the wisdom of keeping silent. A more American version of this proverb is as follows:

Better to keep quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

This is sometimes attributed to Mark Twain or Abraham Lincoln, but there is no proof that either one actually said it. However, having grown up near Hannibal and New Salem, it is easy to imagine that either or both could have said it. It was the common ethos of that region that speaking was reserved for those rare occasions when you actually had something important to say. The way that my father put it was, “children should be seen and not heard.” This maxim was strictly enforced with a stern glare if you spoke up out of turn. “Silence is golden”, is another common expression that I grew up with, and we were blessed with long stretches of silence over the rolling plains, where actual people were few and far between. I had one Bible teacher that said he practiced preaching by speaking to the cows. I suppose I could have done that, but that seemed silly. I probably talked more to my dog and cats because I could depend upon them to listen. The dog was especially attentive, but of course the cats would just wander off and take a nap when they got bored.

So how does this relate to St. Patrick’s day, you might ask. Well it doesn’t really, though when I did first meet some Irishmen, the gift of blarney was something quite strange to me. I was amazed to discover that there are actually speak when they have nothing of importance to say! Not that this is a specifically Irish trait, but it does seem to be more common among them that it was among the German and English midwesterners that I grew up with. In fact, it was not an Irishman at all that first tried to teach me to speak more freely. One of the girls among my hippy friends in college was Swedish and she loved to try to get me to participate in “stream of conscienceless” speaking. It was very strange to me, to say the least.

The end of the matter is this, there is much wisdom in the Proverbs, so I will stick with King Solomon and the other writers of the Proverbs, and endeavor to speak with wisdom when it is appropriate and keep silent otherwise. This is the sentiment of Proverbs 15, so I will close with that.

Proverbs 15:2 (NASB95)

2 Thetongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly.

The Measure of a Man

 The Measure of a Man

January 12, 2025

Proverbs 11:5 (ESV) The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.

Proverbs 12:28 (ESV) In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.

Romans 12:9-21 (ESV) Marks of the True Christian

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another inshowing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Things my father taught me about carpentry: Measure twice and cut once. If you mark the second board from the first, and the third from the second, etc., you will end up with longer and longer boards. So always measure with the same, original standard measuring device.

So it is with the Christian life. If you are going to live a righteous life, from time to time you need to return to the original standard to see how you measure up. That’s the only way to keep your way straight, as the Proverbs say. And the Proverbs continue to say that a straight, righteous life is the way of life. So let us measure our life once, and then twice, to see how straight we are walking.

Paul, in the twelfe chapter of Romans, lays our a concise standard for measure the Christian life. Love, honor, service, prayer, blessing, giving, harmony, peace, these are all measurable standards that you can use to check your walk. If you don’t measure up to these standards, “Straighten up!” As my father used to say. He also taught me how to plow a straight furrow by looking at a marker at the far end of the field. I would tend to look down, and to the left or right, and start to drift off of the straight line, so he would remind me to “straighten up” and keep one distant fence post in view so I could keep on line. That’s what we are doing in Romans 12. We don’t want to naval gaze and keep looking inward, but we want to keep a vision of the perfect in mind so we can head straight in that direction. Therefore, if you don’t quite measure up today, take heart, and keep you eyes on the standard in Romans 12, and begin to straighten up and head directly for the goal. A straight, righteous life will lead to life, and not death, as the write of the Proverb says. So be encouraged. It’s possible to live right if you just keep you eye on the Lord and let His Spirit guide you directly to the goal.