The Well of the Heart: On Drawing Out Wisdom Text: Proverbs 20:5
Introduction: Surface Skimmers and Deep Divers
We live in an age of extraordinary shallowness. Our entire culture is geared toward the surface, the immediate, the tweet, the meme, and the hot take. We have become masters of the superficial glance and apprentices of nothing deep. We have mistaken the froth on the waves for the power of the ocean. And because we are content to skim the surface of everything, we are surprised when our boats are overturned by the first sign of a squall. We have forgotten that reality runs deep, and that the most important things are never floating on the top.
This is true of our knowledge of God, it is true of our relationships, and as our text for today tells us, it is profoundly true of the human heart. The modern world, particularly the therapeutic world, wants to tell you that your heart is a simple thing. "Follow your heart," they say, as though it were a friendly golden retriever that will always lead you to a sunny meadow. But the Bible tells us a different story. The prophet Jeremiah tells us that the heart is deceptive above all things, and desperately sick (Jer. 17:9). Jesus tells us that out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, and all manner of wickedness (Matt. 15:19). The heart is not a shallow, happy pond. It is deep water.
And so, the book of Proverbs, which is God's manual for skillful living, gives us this striking image. It presents us with a problem and a solution. The problem is that the good stuff, the counsel, the plans, the motives, the very substance of a man, is not immediately accessible. It is down in the dark. The solution is not a feeling, or an impulse, or a new technique. The solution is a person: a man of discernment.
This proverb is intensely practical. It teaches us about ourselves, about others, and about how to navigate the world as it actually is, not as we wish it were. It teaches us the necessity of wisdom, the hard work of understanding, and the skill of godly discernment. If we want to be of any use to God or to our neighbor, we must learn to stop splashing in the puddles and learn how to draw water from the well.
The Text
Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water,
But a man of discernment draws it out.
(Proverbs 20:5 LSB)
The Hidden Counsel (v. 5a)
The first clause sets the scene and defines the challenge.
"Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water..." (Proverbs 20:5a)
The word for "counsel" here can also be translated as purpose, plan, or intention. It refers to the internal deliberations, the resolutions, the real motives that drive a person. This is not about surface opinions or fleeting emotions. This is the bedrock stuff. This is what a man has truly resolved to do, what he truly values, what he is actually aiming at. And Solomon tells us this is like "deep water."
What does this metaphor teach us? First, it tells us that a man's true nature is hidden. You cannot know a man by a superficial inspection. People are not what they seem on the surface. This is true for all of us. We have public personas, carefully curated presentations of ourselves that we show to the world. But deep down, in the hidden chambers of the heart, is where the real counsel lies. Like a deep well, the surface can be still and placid, revealing nothing of the depths below. Or the surface might be stirred up by the winds of circumstance, but the disturbance is only on the top layer.
Second, this means that accessing this counsel is difficult. You don't get water from a deep well by accident. You can't just trip over it. It requires equipment, effort, and intention. Likewise, understanding yourself or another person requires more than a casual conversation. It requires work. Our hearts are naturally lazy and self-deceiving. We often don't even know our own counsel. We tell ourselves we do things for one reason, when the deep water of our heart holds an entirely different, and often less flattering, motive.
Third, the metaphor of deep water implies value. Deep wells are sources of life. In an arid land, a deep well is a treasure. The counsel in a man's heart, whether good or ill, is immensely valuable information. The plans of a wise man are a source of life and stability. The schemes of a wicked man are a source of danger. Knowing what is down in the depths is a matter of great importance. We are not to be naive. The apostle Paul tells us to act like mature men in our thinking, not like children (1 Cor. 14:20). Children see only the surface. Adults learn that there are depths to be plumbed.
The Discerning Man (v. 5b)
The second clause provides the solution to the problem of the first.
"But a man of discernment draws it out." (Proverbs 20:5b LSB)
Here is the hero of the proverb. The deep water is a passive reality; the man of discernment is the active agent. He is the one with the bucket and the rope. The word for "discernment" is from a root that means to separate, to distinguish. It is the ability to make careful distinctions. It is insight, understanding, the capacity to see past the surface and comprehend what is really going on.
How does this man of discernment operate? How does he "draw out" this deep counsel? He does it first by rejecting the modern idolatry of the self. He knows the heart is not to be trusted, but to be tested. He begins with the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of all wisdom. He does not lean on his own understanding. His discernment is not a native human cleverness; it is a gift from God, cultivated through a diligent application of God's Word to every area of life.
Practically, this man draws out counsel through skillful questioning. He knows how to ask the right questions, not just of others, but of himself. He is a good listener. He pays attention not just to the words being said, but to the assumptions underneath the words. He watches a man's life, his actions, because actions are the bucket that brings the water of the heart to the surface. As Jesus said, "by their fruits you will know them" (Matt. 7:20). A man of discernment is a fruit inspector.
This is a crucial skill for pastors, for fathers, for husbands, for magistrates, for anyone in a position of leadership. A good counselor is not someone who just dispenses advice. A good counselor is a man of discernment who can help you draw out the counsel that is already in your own heart, to bring it into the light of Scripture so that it can be examined, judged, and if necessary, repented of. This is hard work. It requires patience. You cannot rush this process any more than you can rush drawing water from a deep well with a small bucket. It takes time, repetition, and a steady hand.
Notice the contrast. The world is full of fools who are quick to speak, who live entirely on the surface, whose mouths are a babbling brook of nonsense. But the man of understanding, the man of discernment, is different. He is not fooled by smooth talk or a confident presentation. He waits. He watches. He probes. He brings the light of God's Word to bear, and he draws out the truth.
Drawing from the Gospel Well
Like all of Proverbs, this verse finds its ultimate fulfillment and meaning in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate man of discernment. John's gospel tells us that Jesus "did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man" (John 2:24-25). He saw the deep water in every heart. He saw the genuine faith of Nathanael, the grasping ambition of James and John, the cowardly devotion of Peter, and the treacherous greed in the heart of Judas. Nothing was hidden from Him.
And what does He do with this perfect discernment? He uses it to draw us out. When He met the woman at the well, another deep well, He skillfully and lovingly drew out the deep water of her broken, sinful life. He brought her counsel, her history of five husbands and the man she was currently living with, to the surface. He did not do it to condemn her, but so that He could offer her "living water," the water that springs up to eternal life (John 4:14).
This is the gospel pattern. We come to God with our hearts full of deep, dark, and often confused counsel. We are a mess of conflicting motives, hidden sins, and self-deception. And the Holy Spirit, through the conviction of the Word, is the great discerner. The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12). God's Word is the ultimate bucket that goes down into the well of our hearts and draws everything into the light.
And when our sin is drawn out, when our foolish counsel is exposed, He does not cast us away. He cleanses us. He gives us a new heart, and He puts His counsel, His law, within us (Ezek. 36:26-27). Through Christ, we are given the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might (Isaiah 11:2). He gives us the mind of Christ.
Therefore, our task as Christians is to become men and women of discernment. We must first apply this to ourselves. We must be diligent to bring our own hearts before the Lord, to ask Him to search us and know us, to see if there be any grievous way in us (Psalm 139:23-24). We must stop making excuses for ourselves and learn to draw out the real reasons for our actions. And then, as we grow in this grace, we can be of use to our brothers and sisters. We can learn to bear one another's burdens by helping them draw out the counsel of their own hearts, speaking the truth in love, and pointing them always to the living water of Christ.