Caring or Cruel

DEVOTION
PROVERBS
CARING OR CRUEL

Prov 12:10
10 A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
NIV
I have no beast of burden or oxen to draw my plow nor a horse or mule to carry me to market. Surely those days of Solomon were filled with beasts which served the daily choirs of men, but not so much today, at least in my culture and my own circumstance. Due to the timelessness of God’s Word there has to be some relevant principle which applies to my life today. Certainly those who are categorized by God as wicked are just as loving and caring for their little pets as I am toward my cooper. I don’t think I have ever seen an acquaintance of mine who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior act in a cruel way toward their pet. Could it just me this surface truth or is there a deeper meaning pointing to the true character of each man depending on the guiding principles of his life? Considering those who are considered wicked by God have protested against companies which are supposedly destroying the habitat of some creature, it would appear their acts toward the animal kingdom are truly not cruel at all. So this must have some implication toward the true nature within each person. If I am righteous I should be caring toward the least of all creation, not doing harm to my fellow man nor to the beasts who occupy this planet for my purpose and pleasure. I do not think this would apply toward a gator who would consider me as a meal, but then I am not sure about that. I know I am to rule over the animals, and not be their servant, but at the same time I should not do them any harm either. It would appear those who are the wicked hide they true intentions of cruelty beneath false acts of kindness both toward their fellow man as well as to the animal kingdom. Rather than truly caring for animals with their protests, they are actually serving their own agenda for some hideous self-edification or aggrandizement. What I know is, I can have only compassion and care for any animal I encounter as they truly cannot control their circumstance as a man can. The animals have been given to us by God for us, to serve us, as beasts of burden, food and even as pets for our pleasure. I also do not think I have intentionally not cared for another person, or done so with cruelness in my heart. I suppose there are people who have done both, but as for me, I choose not to. I choose to be caring, not cruel.