Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Tuesday, April 29: Proverbs 9:8

"Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you."

I can't think of any time in my lifetime that this is truer than this age of social media! You can really ferret out the fools and scoffers by watching the vitriol drool out of the mouths of the scoffers.

And what great advice this is. How many "friends" have we accumulated that we had to "de-friend" or "snooze" because they resort to this when they have no sound answer to reason.

There is hardly a thing called "good conversation" with many nowadays. We've been seeing awful riots by anti-semitic bigots these days, rousing up supposedly "cream of the crop" students attending prestigious universities, with most chanting mantras they know nothing about. It reminds me of a passage in Acts, when Paul's preaching was causing a revival in Ephesus and hurting the sales of idols. "Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together." (19:32)

When some reach a point in an argument that cannot be answered, the result is not examining their own framework, but mocking their opponents. It is a tried-and-true ploy, for if you can place a label on someone, it doesn't matter what they say, all the masses hear is the label given them by the media, and blinding them to whatever common sense they may hear.

Mockers do not want to hear the wisdom of another. They want to mock. If you silence them on one thing, they will go to another, and if they have nothing else they will hate you, and resent you. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." (Matthew 6:6)

Paul encouraged us to "speak the truth in love". (Ephesians 4). Jesus taught His disciples to "be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves" when He sent them ahead of Him to cities in Matthew 10.

But in all honesty, many times we deserve the "mockery" we get. Sometimes we need to think of our motive for "witnessing". Is it because we've gained all this knowledge and want to "win souls for Christ" with our great expertise, and prove we are right? Or do we want them to know the truth because they are lost and in need of the Savior? There is a huge difference, and knowing the difference changes your attitude from arrogance to love and compassion.

Ecclesiastes teaches that in every thing there is a season (chapter 3). Wisdom teaches you to be aware of those seasons. There may be a time when the absolute worst thing you can do is try to win your arguments, no matter how noble. It is better in those times to "live your argument".

Christ told us that the fields are "ripe for the harvest". And as wise laborers, we can discern when one is "ripe", or one is still being watered and growing. Remember, God does the saving. He wants us to be sensitive to His voice, and to others. You'll learn when it is a waste of time, or when it is time to plant, or to water, or when it is time to reap.

Much of this is learned through prayer and personal walking in the Spirit. Truth and love must go together, and if you aren't going to be speaking the truth in love, it might be better to simply be silent, and exercise that truth by your life, so those around you may "see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5).

Remember this: "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," (1 Peter 3:15)

Only the Spirit can help them see. And when they see, He will call upon you to reap. Ours is to always prepare and be ready to hear His voice. Souls are not blue ribbons or medals to accumulate. They are hearts broken by sin who need the Savior, just like we did.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

Memory Helps:

"Do not reprove   a scoffer,     or he will hate you;
    reprove   a wise man,     and he will love you."

An easy verse to remember, because of the contrasts. Look at the contrasts first:

1: "Do not reprove/Reprove"

2: "A Scoffer/A Wise man";

3: "he will hate you"/he will love you.

All that's left is "or" and "and".

Word pictures: Have one hand slap the other for "reprove". Better if you know the deaf sign for "R" is crossing your index and middle finger while you are "slapping" to remind you of "R-eprove". You can even shake your fingers first to say "Do not"

Replace scoff with "cough" (I put my fist to my mouth to symbolize covering a cough). So "cough and "shake your fist" to represent "hate".

Shape your hand into a W and touch your head for "Wise". Put your hand to your heart for "love".

Now link the verse and number. Chapter 9 is represented by the phonetic P or b. Turn around a p and it will look like a 9. Also, flip that small b up and it will look like a 9. Both are the same sound, just different air pressures. My "memory character" is the restaurant icon Big "Boy", because "Boy" can only mean 9, vowels fillers. To remember verse 8 of chapter 9, I'll use the black 8-ball used in pool. For me, I'll simply replace "Big Boy's" nose with a big black "8-ball". That's enough for me. You can use whatever works for you. Just make sure you see the two objects when you recite the verse. I watch him do all the hand actions.