Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
16 Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith.
The world tells us to follow our heart. God tells us:
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
In our text God tells us that the heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge. The only way our heart will do that is if it has been changed by God through the new birth. As we have mentioned before, those who are going to today’s universities are being fed lies. Most of those attending those places have just come through 12 years of brainwashing in the wicked secular public schools. They have been indoctrinated in lies and because they are lost, they drink that junk up as if it were the truth. Sadly, the parents of those children are ignorant of the facts. No God-fearing parent would send their child to the public schools of our day.
The conscience of man desires truth, but due to man’s sin nature, the conscience is corrupted. It requires God’s gift of salvation to awaken that conscience to the Truth.
Our text tells us that the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. The children going to the public schools drink up that poison. They go on to university and they are already so confused as to whether there are more than two genders or whether it is wrong to kill babies, or whether they should have respect for adults who do not go along with the junk they are fed in the public school system.
Sadly, the majority of people who attend “churches” today are equally ignorant. They are content to feed on foolishness. There are so many false teachers today who are happily sucking the money out of gullible adults who lack discernment because they have rejected the true God.
Yes, I am painting a pretty dark picture, but it is a true picture. It is time for people to wake up.
In verse 15 we read that the days of the afflicted are evil. The afflicted are those who are poor in spirit in the sense that they are robbed of Truth. They are robbed of Truth because they have chosen not to listen to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit Who is showing the lost of their need of salvation. Too many people have shut their minds and hearts off to the truth. They want to hear things that make them feel good in their present state. They see nothing wrong with the odd drink or going to the dances or even using some illicit drugs, etc.
The devil has an entire smorgasbord of vices that he feeds to the gullible. As we noted from Jeremiah 17:9, man does not know his own heart. The depth of depravity is unlimited to the lost. It is the mercy of God that gives the lost opportunity to reconsider their path. Over time, the rebel gets so comfortable in his sin, that he will not turn to God.
We looked at the merry heart yesterday. The merry heart is associated with the saved person. The saved person can feast on Truth day and night. God’s Word is readily available if a person will just take the time to read it. There still are a few true local churches around that are not ashamed to teach the Truth. You can feast on the Truth all day and every day if you want to. The wise person chooses Life.
In verse 16 we see that we need to learn to see real value. The world tells us we need more things. There are flyers coming out all the time. There are ads all over the internet. The stores have many things on display.
The wise person lives by the fear of the LORD. He sees a lot of junk, but he can see that it is junk. He can recognize true treasure.
Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
If you are saved, you will understand these things. If you are lost, this will seem foreign and strange to you. The fact you are reading this, is evidence of God’s mercy toward you. Be careful to consider what God has to say. Don’t miss out on His blessings, because your flesh is ruling your life.
Be sure you know the true God and then follow Him faithfully. He wants you to have a merry heart. He wants you to have real treasure.
Pastor Bartel