By “A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.” (Proverbs 27:3)
Growing up I was an incredibly foolish boy. As I reached middle school times, I became a person who often times provoked others just for kicks. I remember this day sometime around 7th grade when the weight of my provocation became known to me.
There was this very kind boy in my grade named Joe. He was tall, strong, and quiet. I used to walk down the halls and try to provoke him to anger. I would shove him and taunt him to punch me. He was a patient boy and never did until one day. He wound back and socked me in the shoulder hard enough to launch me clear into the locker bay, slamming me into them. I rubbed my shoulder, smiled, and gloated in my ability to make the mighty Joe angry. Through my forced smile, I learned not to taunt him again. But I also learned that my foolish provocation was heavier upon Joe than a stone or a bag of sand.
A fools provocation feels like a weight upon the soul of the person being provoked. It is crushing, hindering, and slowing wearing the person down. If you have ever been the foolish provoker, know that the Lord is displeased by such sin. If you have been the victim of a foolish provoker, know that there is unlimited strength found in Jesus. He will help you hold the weight until the appointed day when the load will fall upon the fool’s own head and crush him.
Leading Family Devotions 