Day 202 Love That Rebuke | Proverbs 17:9-10

Love That Rebuke

9 

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
     but dwelling on it separates close friends.

10 

A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding
     than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

Verse 9

Sometimes we do not need to point out a mistake. We should forgive other people, and help them not to repeat their errors. See Matthew 18:21-22.

Verse 10

By ‘fool’, Solomon means someone who hates wisdom. Because of his attitude, he will not learn from a punishment. You could whip the fool 100 times, and he would still do evil things.

A wise man does not need a punishment, when he makes a mistake. A few words are enough to correct a wise man. This is because a wise man always wants to do the right thing.

Verse 9 says that when someone tries to make amends and repair a relationship after a mistake, it promotes love. However, if the same mistake is repeated, it can destroy the relationship. The saying goes: "Offended once – shame on you. Offended twice – shame on me for not recognizing the insincerity of the friendship."

Verse 10 tells us that you can punish a fool all day long, and they still won't understand what they did wrong. If a person is sensitive to God's Spirit, just one rebuke will deeply affect them.

Why don't fools recognize they've done something wrong even after being corrected? Fools mock the Scriptures and rebel against God's guidance. They believe they don't need God's direction to live a meaningful life. Because they don't want help from God, they are self-reliant and stubborn. Their pride blinds them to their faults.

Let me ask you: When you are rebuked, does it make you reflect on your actions to see what you did wrong? Or are you like a fool who gets angry that anyone would dare correct them?

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