Have Quiet Words

Ecclesiastes:9 ¹⁴ There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. ¹⁵ Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

¹⁷ The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
    than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
    but one sinner destroys much good.

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“There he goes talking again” I said to myself. This man from our church seemed to go on and on about stories of people who lived in the eighteenth century with him. He was usually quiet, but when he got going, there was no stopping him.

One day I went to visit his son to play over his house. The father came out and said some very quiet words that stuck with me… “Where is your faith?” he asked me. “I don’t know?” was my answer. Those were his only words. He got me thinking.

• I have found wisdom does not need a lot of words.
• I have found wisdom does not equal bragging on television.
• I have found wisdom does not mean pontificating to charm a crowd.

Later in life I came to appreciate his stories. He wasn’t just talking about the past, rather trying to impart wisdom to us through stories in his life. He experienced a lot and through his quiet words he passed down knowledge that I am grateful. I was the one who could have torn him down with my words which would have destroyed much good.

• GOD opened my ears to hear wisdom.
• GOD blessed me with people who cared enough to mentor me.
• GOD surrounded me with people who watched over me.

I now recognize my immaturity and I am excited that he was wise and humble enough to share what GOD blessed him with.

• Are you acting foolish?
• Have you spent a lot of hours talking bad about someone?
• Can you go back to those people you have spread slander to and clean up the mess you’ve made?
• Will you seek GOD’s wisdom over a human’s foolish words?