Tag: Fool

The Heart Reveals

“2A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,

but a fool’s heart to the left.”

— Ecclesiastes 10:2 (ESV)

“The ‘right hand’ is often associated with strength and blessing in the OT”. This is the commentary found in my ESV Bible related to the verse above. By contrast the “left” would be the opposite. The thing I see here is that there is a stark difference between a heart filled with wisdom and foolishness. And that difference is revealed for all to see.

I have written that you “Show Yourself From Your Heart” where we are the reflection of what is in our heart. That is reiterated here in Ecclesiastes. When we are filled with foolishness, we lean one way and when we are filled with wisdom, we lean the other. Those are revealed in our actions for all to see. They are revealed to all and are a reflection of who we really are.

Being wise is not about being “smart”. It is about doing things and making decisions based on logic and having a well thought out approach as opposed to quick emotional action. The end of the commentary for the verse above in my ESV Bible is this, “wisdom and foolishness invariably reveal themselves in one’s behavior”. Our leaning, right or left is revealed through our actions and not specifically through the words spoken.

It is from our heart where our wisdom or folly emanate. We fill our inner most part with that which we focus and that is reflected for all to see. It is revealed through our actions and therefor, the heart reveals who we truly are.

What does your heart reveal? Are you trying to show something only to find that others are not responding the way you would like? What if you were to fill your heart with the wisdom of the LORD as opposed to folly of the world and allow it to be revealed instead?

In Your Heart Know There is God

Notice how I phrase the title, “There is God”, not “there is a God”.

“1The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.”

— Psalm 14:1

The verse above speaks of the “fool” keeping in his heart that “There is no God”. I found it interesting that the Hebrew word “fool” here means, according to my ESV commentary, “someone who stubbornly rejects wisdom”. It does not mean, as we would generally think, someone who is just not that bright. The writer is referring to people who consciously reject God’s existence in holding people to account for their actions. As such, they feel free to act in whatever manner they like without consequence.

This is not a “luxury” that I afford as a follower of Christ. I know in my heart that there is God and He will deal with me and my actions. I have escaped the wrath of God thanks to my salvation, but I am not immune to consequences of my actions. I still have to obey or be subject to accountability.

The LORD is looking down on me to watch over me. I can only imagine how, when I fail Him, He sneers knowing that He will have to hold me to account. But, He loves me too much to let me slide on those things. He ensures that I am aware of my faults so that I can work to avoid them in the future and carry on teaching others about Him.

Love is an emotional and actionable thing. The emotional part overlooks all accountability, where the actionable leans on accountability. I hold love for the LORD in my heart as He holds love in His heart. Both of us emotionally love one another as well as actionable. The actionable love I have for the LORD is in that He is to hold me accountable to my actions. The LORD’s actionable love for me is to hold me accountable for my actions. We are aligned here and should always be. But that alignment cannot be if I do not know in my heart that there is God.

How do you know there is God? Are you like the “fool” who chooses to reject his existence for accountability? What if you know on you heart that there is God and love him emotionally and actionable?