View Blog Entry

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Wisdom is the loving use of what we know, but it’s possible to say right things in the wrong way or to speak true sayings at an improper time or place.   

Job’s friends lacked the understanding of how to apply truth to his suffering. They may have been more concerned about being right than helping their friend. Many of the things his counselors said were true but did not apply to Job.

The Devil knows the Word of God and is not shy about using it on us out of context. Just because something is true, doesn’t mean it’s right to say.

Elihu and his friends made the mistake we often make. They assumed life is a mere cause and effect relationship. Since Job was suffering, he was being punished for his wrongdoings. The book of Job teaches us life is not that simple. Bad things happen to good people. In Job's case, he suffered for his righteousness.

Elihu claims he only tells the truth and has great knowledge. Anytime we think we have a corner on the truth, it shows our ignorance. If we think we’re wise, we’re probably not. The smartest thing Elihu could have done would have been to talk less and listen more. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Better to remain silent and be thought to be a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

There is a sign hanging on many public school walls that reads, “Knowledge is Power.”  While true, it’s also true that knowledge alone is dangerous. Before knowledge, we need virtue (2 Peter 1:5). 

If we speak to people with our heads instead of our hearts, it is like pouring vinegar on a wound. Knowledge without wisdom, like truth without grace, never heals the hurting. 

Lovingly apply your knowledge to those in pain.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)