I've Got Nothing

Day Thirty-Eight

I've Got Nothing (Read Proverbs 15:1-7)

"Listen up because I've got nothing to say, and I'm only gonna say it once." ~ Yogi Berra

"I've got nothing!" How many times have we used these words? You can fill in the blank, "I've got nothing but _________________." This section of Proverbs again contrasts wisdom and folly. It introduces a new collection of sayings, adding an assertion of God's involvement in human life and observations about how life is and about the righteous and the wicked. The section is at the center of Proverbs, placing God at the heart of the book's teaching about wisdom.

In the tapestry of human interaction, wisdom and folly often stand in stark contrast, each shaping our choices and guiding our journeys in profound ways. The adage, "The lips of the wise give good advice; the heart of a fool has none to give," encapsulates this dichotomy beautifully. It invites us to explore the profound significance of wisdom and the role of sound counsel in navigating life's complexities. While wise individuals share insights grounded in experience, strength, and hope, those driven by folly lack the depth and clarity required to offer meaningful guidance. Often, when the eyes of the audience turn toward them for something wise to add, their only response is, "I've got nothing."

² The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,
    but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.

³ The Lord is watching everywhere,
    keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

⁴ Gentle words are a tree of life;
    a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

⁵ Only a fool despises a parent's discipline;
    whoever learns from correction is wise.

⁶ There is treasure in the house of the godly,
    but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble.

⁷ The lips of the wise give good advice;
    the heart of a fool has none to give.

"One of the most valuable things any person can learn is the art of using the knowledge and experience of others." ~ Napoleon Hill

If your default response is, "I've got nothing," when people lean on you for wisdom, you demonstrate that you are a fool, an authentic walking encyclopedia of foolishness rather than wisdom. Here is an example: Have you ever sat around when certain game shows are on, and the people on TV and those present with you belt out the answers with ease, and you sit there mumbling to yourself, "I've got nothing." Or, Trivia Night is coming up, and someone invites you to sit at their table, and you dread being invited, much less attending. Because all night long, you'll fear someone asking you, "What have you got?" And your only response will be, "I've got nothing."

Don't fret; our wisdom reading doesn't refer to game shows or trivia night themes but to life on life's terms. How have you navigated the season of life and the challenges that life throws at us from a God-centered design for living? When someone says, "What should I do?" And all you can give them is "I've got nothing" that's a problem for them and you. Becoming a quick study and student of God's Word and principles for living a Spirit-centered life would be the best action you could ever take. The payoff is experience, strength, and hope, equating to wisdom and becoming your best.

So, the next time someone asks you, "What should I do?" Your response will be one of wisdom instead of folly. Instead of saying, "I've got nothing," you can honestly say, "Here is what I would do, and here's why." Or, "In God's Word, God instructs us to… Living a spiritually principled way of life leads to responses of depth and weight versus "I've got nothing."

Learning to read, write, and speak with confidence and wisdom is always possible when you humble yourself and ask for, guess what? Wisdom, of course. Who will you lean on for wisdom, someone who's been there and done that, or the person whose only response is, "I've got nothing?" 

May God bless your hearing, understanding, and application of today's wisdom.