The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.
— Proverbs 10:21, ESV

This proverbs is painfully reminiscent of the U.S.A.’s nutrition and obesity epidemics. Many have asked how a nation can lead the world in obesity but also struggle so mightily with malnutrition? The answer is simple, ingesting food does not always equal nourishment.

Our world has never had access to this much information, yet general ignorance seems to rule our collective psyches. How can this be possible?

Proverbs 10:21 is an excellent example of "parallelism," or using two opposing statements to express a simple truth. In this example, the righteous who nourishes listen in contrast with the fool who dies of "malnourishment." Evidently, the foolish absorbed many points of view and worldly principles, yet their potential to be holy and wise was wasted away merely because they did not listen to real words of wisdom from the righteous.

Don’t allow your mind to waste away in a wilderness of misinformation and confusion. Instead, use the Lord’s wisdom to filter what we hear and what He has said. 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
— Psalm 119:105, ESV

Let your light shine!