I'm Francie Taylor from Keep the Heart, and this is a Bible application moment.

Proverbs 239 says, speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

So I'm wondering something. When the Bible says speak not, what does that mean?

I'm sure you're out there thinking it means don't speak, right? Don't say it. Don't say it. So why do we still feel like we have to teach

people things, or that we need to school them on something, or we need to tell them where they're wrong?

Or why do we get in Facebook threads or Instagram threads and we add our opinion

and then get into online arguments with total strangers? That must be because you don't have

enough people in your own zip code to argue with. Oh, I never understood that one. But speak not in

the ears of a fool. This is one time in scripture where the Bible even tells us,

why not? For he will despise the wisdom of thy words, the Bible says. Don't do it because it won't be

received. So stop trying to push your point. You may even be right. In fact, if it's biblical,

you know you're right, but you can't deliver

biblical principles to a person who has the receiver turned off. Mockers and scorners are not going to

listen to biblical reason. You can trade that speech you want to give and instead go to the Lord in prayer for that

person, but quit trying to argue or debate or win your point by telling them what you think.

Arguing doesn't do anything but make two people angry. Now, are you really trying to do that?

I don't think so. So it's better if we apply what the

scripture says. Speak not in the ears of a fool. It's going to happen. You're going to have an

opportunity and it's going to come up where you're going to feel like I need to tell them where

they're wrong. I need to straighten their thinking out. Let me tell them, you're going to sacrifice the relationship

on the altar of trying to prove your point. Don't do it. Speak not means don't. You will not be

received. Save those wise words for someone who has the receiver turned on.

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