Title

One Rebuke or A Hundred Blows

Scripture
Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool.
(Proverbs 17:10)
Devotional
Here we have a distinct difference between the wise and the foolish. The wise will listen with an ear toward obedience and a fool does not. It is that simple. Foolishness for the most part is a choice. When we choose not to listen, we choose foolishness. Fools repeatedly suffer because they do the same things repeatedly expecting different results. They will receive a hundred blows of failure before it may possibly dawn on them that their ways do not work. The wise, on the other hand, are constantly looking for a better way to do the things that they do. They listen to advice and seek counsel. When rebuked by a confidant they repent and change. When you rebuke a fool, you make an enemy; when you rebuke the wise you make a greater friend. To know the difference we can simply ask, do I have more friends than enemies?
Text For The Day
Proverbs 17:10: Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool.
 
Thought For The Day
“A homeless man in New York City rebuked me one day. I found him going through a trashcan on the side of our Manhattan church building. Frankly, I was irritated, and I said, ‘Hey, when you're through with the can, put it all back, and make sure the lid is on.’ I started to walk away. ‘Just a minute,’ he called out. I turned to face him. He said, ‘I’ll be glad to do what you asked if you ask me respectfully.’ Respectfully! He had me. This man knew disrespect when he heard it. I sucked in my breath and said, ‘you're absolutely right, and I’m so sorry. Sir, when you’re finished, it would mean a lot to me if you would please make sure the area is tidy.’ ‘I’d be glad to,’ he responded. We shook hands.” Gordon MacDonald, The Gift of Rebuke
Questions To Ponder
 
Morning Study Guide
Defining:  “Rebuke”: A firm, but loving correction for a fault or infraction against the Lord. The merciful attempt to correct a wrong.
 
Referencing: “Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, but he who regards a rebuke will be honored,” Proverbs 13:18.
 
Applying: Receive a rebuke with patience and thanksgiving. Give a rebuke with the same patience. Realize that a rebuke given in anger is to be toward the infraction, not the person. The purpose of a rebuke is restoration, not condemnation.