Proverbs 12: 10 (NKJV) The Treatment of Your Animals Shows What’s Inside…

Today’s verse talks about the way people treat their animals as being a way to judge their character. I find this interesting because we see more and more animal abuse and neglect as the incidence of other forms of crime, abuse and neglect rise.

Proverbs 12: 10

10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal,

But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

righteous: Morally upright; without guilt or sin Upright: Adhering strictly to moral principles

regards: 1. To give heed; pay attention 2. To take into account; consider. 3. Obsolete: To take care of.

       Synonyms: regard, esteem, admiration, respect

These nouns refer to a feeling based on perception of and approval for the worth of a person or thing

mercies: 1. Compassionate treatment 2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving  3. Alleviation of distress; relief 4. humane and kind, sympathetic, or forgiving treatment of or disposition toward others

wicked: 1. Evil by nature and in practice 2. Highly offensive; obnoxious

cruel: predisposed to inflict violence, pain, or hardship, or to find satisfaction in the suffering of others

By using the definitions of the main words of the Bible Text, we see that people that are morally upright, or adhere strictly to moral principles, will pay attention to the care of their animals. They feel that there is worth in living things, and that they have feelings and need love.

By contrast, those people that are evil by nature and in practice, and that are predisposed to inflict violence, pain, or hardship, or to find satisfaction in the suffering of others, just don’t seem to have the capacity within themselves to give humane and kind, sympathetic or compassionate treatment even to their animals.  Jesus said, "You shall know them by their fruits..."

This is SO SAD! I feel that one of the main ways to change people is to change their hearts, and only love, and in particular, the Love of God and His forgiveness in lives, will do that. When we ask Jesus into our lives to wash us from the sins we’ve repented of, and to become the LORD and Savior in our lives, then HE will change us from within, and when He comes again, Romans 8:21-23 tells us:

Romans 8: 21 – 23 (NKJV)

21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Proverbs 12:4 (NKJV) Good wife – Bad Wife

Today’s verse teaches us about the difference between how a husband with a “good wife” feels compared to what the husband of a “bad wife” feels.

Proverbs 12:4
4 An excellent wife (literally: wife of valor) is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

Here are the definitions of the main words in today’s verse:

excellent: Of the highest or finest quality; extremely meritorious
valor: 1. the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger 2. a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
crown: A distinction or reward for achievement, especially a title
shame: 1. A painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace. 2. One that brings dishonor, disgrace, or condemnation. 3. A condition of disgrace or dishonor; ignominy. 4. A great disappointment. rottenness: 1. the quality of rotting and becoming putrid 2. Made weak or unsound by rot


Using these definitions, we find that a wife of the highest quality or one with a quality of spirit that enables them to face danger or pain without showing fear, is a reward, presumably from God, to their husband. All of us have to face problems and pain in this life, but a husband that has a wife that will stand with them during those times is blessed.



In contrast, a wife that brings embarrassment, dishonor, disgrace, or condemnation on her husband, is looked upon by God as someone who makes their husband feel weak, and unsound, as if their bones… the part of their body that holds them up and supports them… are rotting and turning putrid.


Often, women don’t understand this about their men. Men NEED to feel respected by their wives, as it says in Ephesians 5:33b. Sometimes, this can be a very hard thing to do if they haven’t done much to be worthy of respect. The first part of Eph. 5 tells us that Christian men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, being willing to die for her… A husband who puts his life on the line (whichever way the wife NEEDS) to show his love, will win the respect of the wife.


This is an interesting dilemma, and one of the reasons that God asks us to be very careful to not be “unequally yoked,” or married to someone who is NOT a Christian. Of course, if we become a Christian AFTER we are married, it just becomes harder for the spouse. If he isn’t a Christian, he will generally NOT have that love deep down inside, that is given by God, and will be unable, or unwilling to give the type of love that God made marriage to be designed for. This, in turn will make it hard for the wife to respect him.


Still, God asks that WE treat others, and that includes our spouses, in the way that He wants us to treat them… with the love He speaks of in 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (NKJV)

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails…

Proverbs 11: 12 Neighborhood relationships

Note: Sorry I skipped a day… it was hubby’s and my 34th wedding anniversary and I played hooky over the weekend from writing my blogs… :)

Today’s proverb is one that speaks of neighborhood relationships, and the wise way to handle them.

Proverbs 11: 12 (NKJV)

12 He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.

First, let’s look at the definitions of the main words. The Online Dictionary gives the definition of the word, “devoid” as: Completely lacking; destitute or empty… and the definition of the word, “despises” as: 1. To regard with contempt or scorn 2. To dislike intensely; loathe 3. To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern:

This verse, then, speaks of those that are completely lacking in wisdom and the fact that they tend to have no interest or concern for their neighbors. Throughout God’s word, His purpose is to draw people together in love and care for each other. We see that He feels that someone who doesn’t care about others is lacking in His wisdom.

The end of the verse goes on to tell us that “a man of understanding,” which we have seen in other studies in this book is a description of a “righteous man,” will “hold his peace…” Generally when THIS phrase is used, it means that person will hold his tongue or be very careful in the way that he handles situations. He will be in control of himself and his reactions to the problems that come up, and handle them in ways that God would lead him in. This, in turn, will lead to healing instead of further strife.

Proverbs 11: 4 Riches vs Righteousness

The verse we are studying today, warns us not to put our trust in riches, but in being right with God. We will use verses from the Bible with God’s definitions of the major ideas from today’s verse.

Proverbs 11: 4 (NKJV)

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But righteousness delivers from death.


God is a God of Love, and as such, He must judge evil. There is coming, a “Day of Wrath,” when God WILL pour out His judgment on those that refuse to accept Him as their Lord and Jesus as their savior! He gave up His son to save us and there is nothing further He can do. We don’t have to face this… It is our choice. Here is what God has to say about the “Day of Wrath” in Isaiah 13:9-13 (NKJV)


9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.

10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations

Will not give their light;

The sun will be darkened in its going forth,

And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

11 “ I will punish the world for its evil,

And the wicked for their iniquity;

I will halt the arrogance of the proud,

And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold,

A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13 Therefore I will shake the heavens,

And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the LORD of hosts

And in the day of His fierce anger.

Psalms 49: 16-20 (NIV) warns us not to be overawed with “riches,” because riches, in themselves, will not bring life.

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,

when the splendor of his house increases;
17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,

his splendor will not descend with him.
18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—

and men praise you when you prosper-

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .
20 A man who has riches without understanding

is like the beasts that perish.

NOTE: It is the man that has "riches WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING" that will perish. It isn't the riches that bring about condemnation, it is putting them before God that does.

Psalms 15: 1 – 5 gives us a definition from the Bible, of the person that God feels is “righteous,” and who will end up in Heaven…

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless

and who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,

who does his neighbor no wrong

and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man

but honors those who fear the LORD,

who keeps his oath

even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury

and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things

will never be shaken.

Now, let's read, again our verse from today: Proverbs 11: 4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. After reading God’s definitions, I found this verse to be much more meaningful and significant in it’s meaning for me… I hope that you did too!

Proverbs 10 : 13 & 14 Wise or Foolish Lips...

Today’s verses give us some more attributes of those that are wise, and those that are foolish.

Proverbs 10: 13 & 14 (NKJV)

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,

But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.

14 Wise people store up knowledge,

But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Both of our verses today start out speaking about wisdom. Verse 13 tells us that a person that is wise and understanding, speaks wise words… wisdom is “found” on his lips, and verse 14 goes on to tell us that a wise person will “store up knowledge.” They don’t just “hear” it, they seek after it and put it into their heads, hearts and actions, so that they will remember it.

The second part of both of these verses show contrasts to the first parts. Verse 13 contrasts those who are “devoid of understanding” to those that “have understanding.” “A rod is for the back…” speaks of people who are caught and punished for doing foolish, ungodly things. All of us do these types of things at different times of our lives… especially when we are young. Hopefully these incidences become less frequent as we grow in knowledge and understanding of God and His ways.

God also tells us that “those He loves, He chastens…” when they need it, and there are several places in the Bible that speak about this principle. Just as we give our children the choices to choose between following our rules and not following them, if they will eventually NOT be safe if they don’t follow, then we will, if we are wise parents, discipline them so that they will stay on “safe paths.” God does the same for us, because He loves us even MORE than we love our own children.

The first part of verse 13, which as we saw, speaks of having wisdom on his lips, contrasts with the last part of verse 14 which tells us that people that speak foolishness are near destruction. As we have studied before, our words flow from what is in our hearts, and if they are full of ungodly things (The fool says, in his heart, there is NO God…) then each time the “foolishness” flows, it draws us closer to destruction because it draws us AWAY from God.

Proverbs 10:12 Love Covers...

Today’s verse is a very important one… one that we should all memorize. The second half of this verse is God's ultimate Will for us to know and live... just as Jesus lived it out, even to dying to cover ALL of OUR sins.

Proverbs 10:12 (NKJV)

12 Hatred stirs up strife,

But love covers all sins.

The online dictionary defines “hatred” as: the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action. It defines “strife” as: 1. Heated, often violent dissension; bitter conflict 2. A struggle, fight, or quarrel. 3. Contention or competition between rivals.

When people allow hatred to settle into their hearts, whether caused by a wrong done to them or a loved one, some kind of pain caused them or one they love, or any other reason, (covetousness, jealousy, etc.) sooner or later, those feelings will “bubble up” inside of them.

These strong feelings, will eventually cause conflict of some sort. Sometimes, this is deep within one’s own body, as stress compounds like cortisol pour into the system. These compounds will erode the natural, God-given immune system that was created to help us fight off diseases.

The following is taken from a website about Stress Management:

Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:

*Impaired cognitive performance
*Suppressed thyroid function
*Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia

*Decreased bone density
*Decrease in muscle tissue

*Higher blood pressure
*Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses

in the body, slowed wound healing,

and other health consequences

*Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of , higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems!

Another thing that a continued, “simmering hatred” often does is to manifest outward problems, most typically anger issues, in a person’s life. They have anger that they just can’t seem to control, and that can come out in self-destructive behavior, as well as in violent displays and acts toward others.

Hatred is a sin! Jesus makes that clear in his teachings in Matt. 5:21 & 22:

Murder Begins in the Heart

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.

The second part of this verse is the “cure” for these problems. It states: “love covers all sins.” When we are “born again” by asking Jesus to forgive our sins (that would lead us to eternal death), and to come and live within us with His Holy Spirit (leading us into God’s kingdom and eternal life), than that “renewed spirit” is one that God helps to grow into a forgiving, loving spirit as we grow and become more like Him.

This most often DOESN’T happen overnight… it often takes some time. Praying for the person or problem will allow God to work in our lives, give us self-control, and show us things that can change the “hatred” in our own hurting hearts. Once we reach a place of forgiveness, then the seed of love can grow. Here is what Jesus has to say on this subject in Luke 6: 27-36 :

Love Your Enemies

27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Proverbs 10: 9 Walk With Integrity...

Today, we will look at verse 9 of Chapter 10.

Proverbs 10: 9 (NKJV)

9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.


The Online Dictionary defines “integrity” as: steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code, or honesty. It defines the word “securely” as: 1. Free from danger or attack: 2. Free from risk of loss; safe: 3. Free from fear, anxiety, or doubt. 4. Not likely to fail or give way; stable:.5. Reliable; dependable: 6. Assured; certain:


So the first part of verse 9 tells us that those who walk according to a strict moral code and with honesty, will walk in safety. They can be free from fear because they are not going to fail in God’s eyes. They can be assured that the “Maker” of that code, God, is reliable and can be depended upon to keep them on a path that will lead them to safety… in Heaven sooner or later.

The Online Dictionary defines the word "perverts" as: 1. To cause to turn away from what is right, proper, or good; to corrupt. 2. To bring to a bad or worse condition; debase. 3. To put to a wrong or improper use; to misuse. 4. To interpret incorrectly; misconstrue or distort: So, the second part of the verse warns that those who do these evil, “perverted” things, will eventually be found out and punished… if not in this life, then when they ultimately face God, for He says “vengeance is Mine…”

Proverbs 10: 8 The Wise Listen...

Today’s verse contrasts another side of wisdom compared to foolishness.


Proverbs 10: 8 (NKJV)


8 The wise in heart will receive commands,

But a prating fool will fall.


A couple of the definitions of “command” is 1. an authoritative instruction that something must be done 2. the authority to command. People who are wise, and have made God’s wisdom a part of their hearts and minds, will realize that His is the ultimate authority in this life, and in the afterlife. They will know that He only asks things of them that will bring good things their way because He loves them. They CHOSE to follow the authoritative instructions of what HE says NEEDS to be done, because they trust in His ultimate love for them.

The definition of “prating” or to “prate” is to: To talk idly and at length; chatter. Speak empty, foolish, or trivial talk; idle chatter. I think women tend to call this "gossip" and men tend to call it "shooting the bull..." As we saw in the preceding paragraph, the wise person has made God’s wisdom a part of their lives and speak to His ways. This part of the verse tells us that foolish people (those that refuse to acknowledge God or His authority in their lives) speak of only empty, foolish or trivial things that help no one. These people will ultimately fail or “fall.”