Read Proverbs 21:11  Do you remember the three different types of people that Solomon has talked about in Proverbs?  Our verse for today mentions three of the four.  Today we read about the scorner, the simple, and the wise.  The fourth is the fool.  We talked about the scorner back in Proverbs 19:25.  It said that if you "smite the scorner, the simple are made wise."  That is pretty strong.  Our verse here is a little softer.  It says that when the scorner is punished, the simple are made wise.  Some young people just seem to get into trouble all the time.  Then there are others who never seem to get into trouble.  But then there are many of you who fall into the middle category.  You get into trouble some of the time.  Usually, when we get into trouble it is because we forget what we are supposed to do.  Most of the time we are not just outright rebellious, we are just forgetful.  That is how we find this simple young person here in our verse.  But they have a wonderful lesson.  Fortunately for them, they have another young person around them: a scorner.  And this scorner gets into trouble all of the time.  They get into trouble often because they are downright rebellious.  They don't really want to do the right thing.  They want to do the wrong thing.  That is bad for them, but good for the simple young person.  It seems like the scorner is always getting punished.  They never learn because they do not want to learn.  They are stubborn and self-willed.  But when they are punished, or like Proverbs 19:25 even spanked, the simple young person sees it and says, "Hey, I don't want to get a spanking like blank."  I almost said someone's name, but I put a blank there.  Just think a minute.  Would your name go in the blank?  Are you a scorner.  Or are you a simple young person who straightens up when the scorner kid is punished?  Or better than that, are you a wise young person.  Do you know the right thing to do and you do it.  If you are wise, you don't usually get into trouble.  You listen and learn.  If you are a simple young person you get into trouble often, but you are reminded to be careful when someone else is punished.  But, if you are the scorner, well, you never listen.  You never learn, and you are always in trouble.  I don't like to be in trouble do you?  I want to be a wise son of my heavenly Father.  Don't you want to be a wise son or daughter?  If you do, you are already not a scorner.  If you want to do what is right you can.  And, with God's help, you will!