Wise people feel no compulsion to tell others all they know. In fact, they run much deeper than they let on. If you don’t probe and ask questions, you will only skim the surface of what wise people understand. They have spent much time thinking about important issues. They have meditated upon God’s word. They have read and studied widely. They have a wealth of knowledge and breadth of insight that could be of enormous help to those who seek to learn from them. Prudent people do not withhold knowledge maliciously. They simply treat it as something valuable that has been entrusted to them. They do not offer precious gems to people who will treat them as cheap trinkets. Wise people hallow God and His word. Around those who treat God’s word lightly, wise people will remain silent. They know there is no point in subjecting God’s wisdom to a fool.
Conversely, fools love to speak, regardless of whether they have anything valuable to say. In disrupting the silence, such people reveal the impoverished nature of their soul and thought. Had they remained silent, you might have suspected the scarcity of their thought. But now that they have opened their mouth, they leave no room for doubt!
Are you someone who delights in wisdom? Do you meditate on the deep things of God? Are you continually on the lookout for wise people who could teach you much? Can you recognize wise people when you are in their presence?