Text: Proverbs 12:8-10 (ESV)   8 A man is commended according to his good sense, but one of twisted mind is despised. 9 Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread. 10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.   A GOOD SENSE   A man shall be commended by good men, according to his prudence. His discourses and actions prove it to be in him. A man who gives practical proof of wisdom by life and character, whose words and actions show that he is actuated by high views, is praised and acknowledged by all. As Prov 27:21 says, “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.” The perverse, however, is despised. He defames himself by his crooked judgment of men, of things, and his relationships.   Solomon expresses a sarcastic comment to the proud, who claims and boasts as a great man but lacks bread. He boasts of his rank and family, while on the verge of starvation. There is no sense in his life. In contrast to the humble, who looks after one's own business and provides for one's own necessities. He even has servants to minister to his needs but he does not raise himself up.   Another good sense of the righteous is his true compassion, even to animals. God's mercies are over all his works; he saves both man and beast; he hates nothing that he has made (Psa 36:6; Psa 145:9; Jon 4:11) God enacted that the rest of the sabbath should extend to the domestic animals (Ex 20:10); that a man should help the over-burdened beast, even of his enemy (Ex 23:4, 5); that the unequal strength of the ox and the donkey should not be yoked together in the plow (Deut 22:10); that the ox should not be muzzled when he was treading out the corn (Deut 25:4): that the sitting bird should not be taken from her little brood (Deut 22:6), nor a kid seethed in its mother's milk (Ex 23:19). Sadly, the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. There is much cruelty mixed even with their most merciful actions when they pretend or intend to show mercy. As the Greeks say, “The gifts of enemies are no gifts.” The unrighteous are pretenders and treacherous.   May by His grace, we’ll say and do things today in good sense. Listen and FOLLOW us on our podcast ------------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram