Proverbs 26:11

The book of Proverbs gives us insights into so many different areas of life. The book gives us instruction on how to live our lives for God. Here is a proverb that gives us insight about folly:

Proverbs 26:11 (ESV)

Like a dog that returns to his vomit

is a fool who repeats his folly.

Repetitive poor behavior indicates an inward character problem.    Most people use the following definition for insanity: When you keep doing the same thing over and over but expect different results.   That is what Solomon is telling us in regard to folly.  Folly is when you keep doing the same bad act over and over.  Even though you know that it is wrong for you or for others you keep doing something the same way.   God is in the business of showing us our mistakes.   When we are bent on repeating those mistakes over and over, God calls that Folly.   Only faith in the Wisdom of God (Christ) can we hope to get out of the cycle.   God can and will change the cycle of the fool, if they use faith to put an end to our cycle of repeated poor behavior.   The simple dog gives us the lesson as it returns to the vomit on the street as though it were its food.  It wasn't enough that the dog ate something that made it vomit in the first place but now returns to the same stench to eat it.   So, too, with you and I when we sin and find that we are simply repeating the same old habits as before.  This is a proverb that simply states the obvious.  It offers no sense of delivery ... standing alone.   The delivery system is the ability to leave folly and find hope in Christ.   Only Christ can break the cycle.   If, by faith, we don't allow Him to break the cycle we will forever be eating our own vomit.