"The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil." Proverbs 13:19

At first glance, the contrast given here seems very obscure. However, if we look close enough, there are some very powerful truths to be found here. We begin with an accomplishment that leads to a happy soul. It is a fulfilled longing that the writer says leads to this happiness. When we have a desire for something, and we receive that which we long for, it is sweet to the soul. It doesn’t say that every desire is sweet to the soul, just the ones that are fulfilled. When we compare and contrast this with the second half of the verse, we find that it is disgusting, unthinkable, and repulsive to fools to ignore or walk away from misplaced desires. While we know that even sin can be sweet for a season, the end result is very bitter. However, the motivation of the “desire accomplished” is just as strong for fools as it is anyone else. In a world that is looking for meaning and fulfillment, this morning we are faced with a very important truth: While fulfilled desires are sweet, only godly wisdom produces lasting fulfillment. The life of the fool is a roller coaster that continuously rushes up and down. There is no lasting sweetness here, as a matter of fact, after a while; even the sweetness becomes bitter when you know it will not last.