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Today’s Manna

Daily Reading for Sunday, February 25, 2024
Scripture: Proverbs 12:10
"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."
Meditation:

"Few realize as they should the sinfulness of abusing animals or leaving them to suffer from neglect. He who created man made the lower animals also, and 'His tender mercies are over all His works' (Psalm 145:9). The animals were created to serve man, but he has no right to cause them pain by harsh treatment or cruel exaction.

"It is because of man's sin that 'the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together' (Romans 8:22). Suffering and death were thus entailed, not only upon the human race, but upon the animals. Surely, then, it becomes man to seek to lighten, instead of increasing, the weight of suffering which his transgression has brought upon God's creatures. He who will abuse animals because he has them in his power is both a coward and a tyrant. A disposition to cause pain, whether to our fellow men or to the brute creation, is satanic. Many do not realize that their cruelty will ever be known, because the poor dumb animals cannot reveal it. But could the eyes of these men be opened, as were those of Balaam, they would see an angel of God standing as a witness, to testify against them in the courts above. A record goes up to heaven, and a day is coming when judgment will be pronounced against those who abuse God's creatures." 1

Reference(s):

1. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 443.