Proverbs 23:6–9: “Do not eat the food of a stingy person, do not crave his delicacies, for he is like someone who has calculated the cost in his mind. ‘Eat and drink,’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the little bit you have eaten and will waste your pleasant words. Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.”

I’m talking about the need for us not to waste our words. Look at what is happening in this passage. It is saying: the food of a stingy person is in front of you; you are complimenting, “Wow, this food is so nice,” but it is all a waste. It is not landing. The words are wasted.

It is like a duck that water cannot touch. The water lands on the body, but the mind is somewhere else. His heart is not with you. So your engagement with that person is a waste of your time. The words you have spoken are a waste of your time. That is a fact of wisdom that the book of Proverbs is trying to tell us.

“Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.” You are talking, but it was a waste of your time.

When you look at the ministry of Paul, he preached to the Jews, and because of the way they reacted, he said, “Since you reject it… we are turning to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46–48). He did not want to continue wasting his words. As far as he was concerned, his word is precious.

Jesus spoke to the crowds, but He was circumspect. He was wise in what He said, whether He was speaking to the crowd or speaking with His disciples. He does not have the need to be approved by men, so He does not feel like, “I must convince you, I must keep persuading you, I must keep engaging with you more than is necessary.” When He tells the public a parable, He comes and interprets it to His inner circle (Matthew 13:10–11, 34–36).

So I am saying: there is a possibility that you waste your words in certain scenarios.

Coming back to this passage in Proverbs, the writer says, “Do not speak in the ears of a fool.” That means there are some things that are appropriate for some people, and some things that are not appropriate for some people. We need to learn that. We need to be aware of that. We need to think: What exactly am I trying to achieve here? Is it going to be achievable? This energy I’m spending, saying all these words, doing all this explaining—is it worth it? Is it worth it?

“Do not speak in the ears of a fool.” Is it worth it? Is it worth my explanation, my verse‑by‑verse, my detailed breakdown? Is it not just going to lead to more rancor? What is the aim here? That engagement, that interaction, that conversation—is it going to lead to more and more rancor?

He says, “He will despise the wisdom of your words.”

Look at what Jesus said: “Do not give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs” (Matthew 7:6). It is the same thing as this verse. “They will trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” You are going to regret it. You are going to regret it. In your mind, you are doing something good, but you will regret it at the end. Do not say, “At least I’ve done something good.” No. Be circumspect.

Make sure you are not wasting your energy in some direction. Make sure you are not sowing among thorns (Jeremiah 4:3). Are your words going to be welcomed? If not, maybe you need to rethink.

God bless you. See you later.