Daily Devotional, May 28

Proverbs 17:10-12(Amp):
10 A reproof enters deeper into one of understanding than a hundred lashes into a (self-confident) fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; therefore a stern and pitiless messenger shall be sent against him.
12 Let (the brute ferocity of) a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a (self-confident) fool in his folly (when he is in a rage).

This set of verses compares one distinct quality that sets the wise man apart from a fool. A wise person has knowledge, experience, and the ability to understand difficult and lofty concepts, but there is more to wisdom than merely understanding something conceptually. True wisdom is something that any of us can attain if we are willing to humble ourselves and recognize that wisdom, like all great things of God, begins in lowliness and humility.

When we are corrected our natural inclination is to defend ourselves. Words of reproof may come as a "lash" and bring hurt feelings, but if we are wise, we will receive it as an opportunity to self-reflect and grow in wisdom.