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August 24, 2023
Wisdom Is Better than Muscle.
Beloved loved one let’s continue to listen to Solomon. He said, ‘I took all this in and thought it through, inside and out. Here’s what I understood: The good, the wise, and all that they do are in God’s hands—but, day by day, whether it’s love or hate they’re dealing with, they don’t know. Anything’s possible. It’s one fate for everybody—righteous and wicked, good people, bad people, the nice and the nasty, worshipers, and non-worshipers, committed and uncommitted. I find this outrageous—the worst thing about living on this earth—that everyone’s lumped together in one fate. Is it any wonder that so many people are obsessed with evil? Is it any wonder that people go crazy right and left? Life leads to death. That’s it. (Ecclesiastes 9:1-3)
One day as I was observing how wisdom fares on this earth, I saw something that made me sit up and take notice. There was a small town with only a few people in it. A strong king came and mounted an attack, building trenches and attack posts around it. There was a poor but wise man in that town whose wisdom saved the town, but he was promptly forgotten. (He was only a poor man, after all. (Ecclesiastes 9: 4-5) All the same, I still say that wisdom is better than muscle, even though the wise poor man was treated with contempt and soon forgotten. The quiet words of the wise are more effective than the ranting of a
king of fools. Wisdom is better than warheads, but one hothead can ruin the good earth. (Ecclesiastes 9:16-18)
Dead flies in perfume make it stink, and a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom. Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living. Fools on the road have no sense of direction. The way they walk tells the story: “There goes the fool again!” If a ruler loses his temper against you, don’t panic, a calm disposition quiets intemperate rage. Here’s a piece of bad business I’ve seen on this earth, an error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge: Immaturity is given a place of prominence, while maturity is made to take a backseat. I’ve seen unproven upstarts riding in style, while experienced veterans are put out to pasture. Caution: The trap you set might catch you. Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you. Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous. Be alert: Falling trees are hazardous. Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle. (Ecclesiastes 10:1-10)
These are wisdom principles from King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived.
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