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

I do another blog that is a Bible Study from the book of Proverbs, and today’s verse is one that is just so close to my heart that I wanted to share it here as well. I don’t think very many of you follow both blogs, so hopefully this won’t be a re-run for you.

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 (NKJV)

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.

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.

Young Women of Virtue… Abigail

I have been following an amazing young teenage woman that has a LOT of Godly wisdom. Her name is Abigail, and her blog is called, “Young Women of Virtue.” This is her header...


I just finished reading a blog post of hers that I wish every young woman would get a chance to read. This would also be great for a person who teaches young women (teens) to teach to their class. The name of the post is “Role Models: Hollywood or Rebekah and Abigail." Here is an excerpt of this post, showing one of the Bible verses she uses…

Proverbs 31:30 "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." Today, I looked up the definition of favor in the strong's exhaustive concordance, it translates as follows: grace, charm, elegance, and strangely enough, acceptance. How interesting. So, the bible clearly tells us that seeking after "acceptance" is deceitful. That's worth saying again! Wanting to be accepted or popular is deceitful!

This young woman tells it the way God’s Word does, and I HIGHLY recommend this post!

P.S. My grand-nephew, Brady, is home from the hospital. The tests for Cystic Fibrosis and for that deep Pulmonary virus, RSV came back negative. He will have to go down to UCLA for Neurological tests to see what is causing the seizures. Praise God that the tests have all been negative, and please continue to pray that it was the fever that caused the rest of his problems. My niece is so glad to be home. We thank you all so much for your prayers for Brady and his family!


This is the second of her children that has had some serious problems. One of her daughters (6 years old) has Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, which translates to a piece of her brain isn't developed or isn't there. This is truly a MIRACLE CHILD that has been through a lot, but God's grace has brought her MUCH farther than the Doctor's ever gave hope for! She can walk and talk, and is attending regular classes at this time with just a little extra help... This is through God's touch and the unending hard work of her mother and grandmother (my sister). This is a picture of her when she was going through a LOT of pain. She was around 2 years old, and was already praying beautiful prayers!

Of Possums and God…

Hubby and I went to the $2 show last weekend to see Ice Age 3… Yes, we are big children at heart. Anyway, it was pretty good, too, but not quite as good as the first two… almost, though, and well worth the $4. Actually, the second one will probably always be my favorite to look back at because of what happened with my 4 year old Grand-niece while we watched it.

During the movie, they were talking about a girl Mammoth that had been raised with Possums, and thought that she WAS a Possum. The boy Mammoth spent a lot of the movie trying to convince her that she was a Mammoth and NOT a possum because they were (they thought) the last mammoths left. Toward the end of the movie, a big cataclysm happened that broke open one end of their glacier enclosed valley, and a whole herd of Mammoths came lumbering over the hill. It was a VERY touching moment…

My little Grand-niece piped up, quite loudly… “Oooo… Look at all the POSSUMS!!!” It about broke up the house!

“Look at all the Possums….” Sometimes, we THINK we know about what/who God is because we have been taught various things, but do we really? The only way that I can REALLY know who God is and some of the way He thinks is to read my Bible. It is His love letter to me to help me understand the way He is, the way He thinks, and the way HE created the world to work…

Some Thoughts on Wisdom, Wealth and Riches...

I have been praying about wisdom on money matters, and these things came into my mind...

Close your eyes and think for a minute what you would do if you were given $100,000 dollars today. Now take a piece of paper and write a list down the side of the paper of what you would do with it. Don’t show it to anyone… it is just for you to see.

As Christians, who really "needs" riches and wealth? In our life here on earth, we need “money” only as a means of bartering with others to care for our own needs or the needs of others… ALL else will eventually go to dust.

So many people spend so much money to keep themselves “looking younger,” but even our own bodies can’t go with us and “human beauty” is so fleeting when you look at it based on the knowledge of eternity.

Think of what most people spend money on—Check with God’s heart on the matter. Is that “object/service” one that will ultimately bring GOD glory or is it for your own pleasure and/or prestige?

Taking care of what GOD has given you (not what you’ve gone and gotten because of your “wants”) is good use for money. Being blessed by God is a way that He sometimes (with people He knows can handle it without the money taking over their lives) uses to draw others to us so that His message of love can be heard.

Money can be used to purchase the tools of a trade or to build and/or repair things that are NEEDED. Money or riches should never be the end reason for doing anything.

When we get to Heaven, the roads and building materials will be what many call “riches” down here, but up there, they are simply more beauty that surrounds us to bring joy/delight to our souls.

We need to learn to look at money through God’s eyes… what would He have us use it for? Sure He loves us and gives us some “stuff” because He loves to bring joy to His children, but He knows our hearts and as we grow in Him, we need to learn to weigh our motives for each purchase that WE are chosing to make… is this bought to impress others or simply to fulfill a “lust of the flesh?” OR, is it something God can ultimately use?

Example: One person buys a boat to be able to join a group of people they like/get along with, etc. so that they can eventually share God’s love, while another buys a boat purely for satisfying the “lusts of the flesh”—drinking, carousing, etc. with a specific “crowd,” to show off what they have.

Sometimes, it is a very thin line and we MUST examine our TRUE motives so that we don’t rationalize ourselves into getting something with “good intentions” but no true “call of God.” We need to ask God for wisdom to show us our true motives, and take the time to listen to His response to our request. If we don’t, the "things" can eventually take over our souls and become an idol, coming between us and God.

Now, go back and check your list. Evaluate where you think you are, compared to where God would want your heart...

Lord, help me to learn, each day, to turn to You for wisdom in each step that I take in ALL areas of my life. As Your child, I need to grow up, take more and more responsibility to follow You closer and closer, and then You will be able to entrust more to me, knowing that I will use Your gifts wisely and for YOUR purposes. Continue to give me only the things YOU know I can handle...