Proverbs 15:14

Proverbs 15:14 "The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness."

The language of this proverb is both familiar and unique.  Knowledge and foolishness are not uncommon topics in Solomon's proverbs nor are fools and those with understanding uncommon characters.  What makes this proverb unique is the language used to describe a fool in that he "feedeth on foolishness."  This language creates quite the mental image.  A fool feeds on foolishness the way a cow feeds on grain or a cat on that same dry bagged pet food.  A fool's breakfast, lunch and dinner are found in box or can of foolishness.  Foolishness is what a fool consumes each and every day of his life.  He wakes up hungry for foolishness.  It's what sustains and fuels him.

The great contrast of this proverb is what makes the fool's feeding frenzy so foolish.  In the proverb, a person with understanding isn't found feeding on anything.  The mouth of the understanding soul isn't full of anything in this visual lesson.  There isn't a bowl of "the usual" in front of him.  There isn't a plate of the "the same old, same old" on the table.  He isn't feeding on anything.  Instead, we're drawn beyond his mouth down into his heart.  There we learn that he's looking for something of value to consume.  There in his heart, we see a yearning for something of real substance - knowledge.  Because he has understanding, he realizes the harm foolishness does to his soul.  Because he has understanding, he recognizes the lack of spiritual nutrition in much of the information available on the buffet of this world's information stream.  He doesn't just feed on anything; he seeks that which will be good and wholesome for him.

This proverb highlights the danger of foolishness while emphasizing the benefit of understanding.  Without understanding in the heart, we remain foolish because foolishness is sustained by a steady diet of foolishness.  Foolishness in the soul creates an appetite for foolishness.  A fool wakes up in the morning and instinctively doom scrolls with an appetite for something that offers no spiritually-meaningful information to consume.  A fool goes throughout the day starving to consume meaningless posts, videos and photos.  A fool goes to bed snacking on books, articles and television shows that entertain his foolish mind.  A fool lacks the understanding necessary to see that what he's eating all day every day is ruining him.  The foolish man who constantly combs the internet for ways to get rich quick doesn't realize that it keeps him greedy and lazy.  The foolish woman who constantly scrolls social media to see what everyone is up to doesn't recognize that it keeps her covetous and ungrateful.

A fool consumes anything that appeals to the senses.  If it sounds interesting, he'll watch it.  If it looks appealing, she'll read it.  A fool lacks the sense to read the spiritual nutrition label before eating.  He'll eat anything and everything on the buffet of this world's information as long as it smells, sounds or looks good to him.  He sees no value in truth or in godly knowledge.  It only matters that he'll enjoy the taste of it.  Fools never ask what their food is made of, where it comes from or what it will do to their soul.  They eat what they like and because they're foolish, they like foolishness.  They just don't have the sense to see what foolish podcasts, reels, articles, shows or even unbiblical sermons do to their souls.  Whatever they're drawn to, they consume.  Whatever they're used to feeding on, they consume.  Whatever appeals to their senses and spirit, they consume.  They don't think before they eat.

The person who possesses understanding thinks before they eat.  A wise man looks for spiritually-nutritious information to read or watch.  A wise woman considers any source of information before she drinks of its water.  A man of understanding manages what goes in his spiritual mouth.  A woman of understanding doesn't waste spiritual calories on that which tastes good but doesn't do any good.  Simply put, without understanding, we'll consume information in our world out of habit or to appease our intellectual taste buds.  If we get understanding, our hearts will bridle our intellectual and carnal taste buds and only consume that which brings spiritual benefit to our soul.  In a world dominated by an online buffet of never-ending information, much of which is wildly foolish, think before you eat.