Welcome to all, warm wishes for a wonderful day! Let's dig into Proverbs 12, verses 4-7. For commentary on verses 1-3, search "Oct 12".

"4 A capable wife is a crown to her husband, But the wife who acts shamefully is like rottenness in his bones. 5 The thoughts of the righteous are just, But the guidance of the wicked is deceptive. 6 The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush, But the mouth of the upright saves them. 7 When the wicked are overthrown, they are no more, But the house of the righteous will keep standing."

Prov 12:4 How grateful a husband can be for a "capable wife." Perhaps his genuine love for her may encourage her to thrive in their marriage, as she gives him deep respect for his loving headship. Reliance upon God may help a wife to thrive even under unfavorable circumstances, being loyal to her husband. Both should be loyal to God first, and show genuine love for each other by helping each other to first be loyal to God and His standards. Yes, with their marriage the two become "one flesh", but God is the primary strand in the "threefold cord" of marriage. (Gene 2:24; Eccl 4:12) Forgetting God, we would pull an Adam or an Eve, and be displeasing God, the God who "is love" and can bless our marriage union.

Prov 12:5 As we seek God's righteousness in our lives, we see that even our thoughts can be affected, to be right and just before God. We should desire, as David expressed in prayer at Psal 26:2: "Examine me, O Jehovah, and put me to the test; Refine my innermost thoughts and my heart." The wicked, who may offer guidance, are corrupt and selfish, seeking their own interests, thus any so-called guidance from them is deceptive.

Prov 12:6 Sometimes the words of the wicked may be persuasive, but "are a deadly ambush", or "lie in wait for blood"(AMP). Paying attention to them can kill us spiritually. However, listening to upright ones, and God's word, can be life-saving.

Prov 12:7 The wicked must not be allowed to carry on their evil indefinitely, hopefully many will repent. But in God's love their end is not endless torment, but rather death--"they are no more." The house of righteous, however, will keep standing. Let's aim not to compromise, but hold to what is right before God, with His help and support, truly pleasing Him. Thus we may have His blessing on our life and family, our house or home.

Psal 53 (Book 2, 12th psalm) should move us to respond appreciatively to God's love for us. In Psal 53:2,3, we see that mankind could become corrupted spiritually, if we allow ourselves to become selfish. We read: "But God looks down from heaven on the sons of men To see whether anyone has insight, whether anyone is seeking Jehovah. 3 They have all turned away; They are all alike corrupt. No one is doing good, Not even one." This may remind us of Satan's influence mentioned in Revelation 12:9, where Satan was called the one "who is misleading the entire inhabited earth." How sad when many are sidetracked from appreciating God's love as the One who "gives to all people life, and breath, and all things. And he made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of where men would dwell, 27 so that they would seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us. 28 For by him we have life and move and exist, even as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’" May we come to have deep appreciation for our Life-giver, and put His interests ahead of our own, that we may cultivate true love for Him and others in our hearts, and find genuine peace and joy as we do so, a joy that transcends any other, and enables us to love all aspects of life in harmony with God's will.

Galatians 2 contains the inspired words of the apostle Paul, who said "that a man is declared righteous, not by works of law, but only through faith in Jesus Christ." (Gala 2:16). Our faith in Jesus and his ransom sacrifice, to allow true forgiveness for our sins, moves us out of appreciation to please God fully. Our faith and love for God and Christ move us to be obedient from the heart to their commands, but such obedience cannot "earn" us salvation--everlasting life is a gift from a loving God (Roma 6:23). "The love of God means that we observe His commandments, but His commandments are not burdensome. "(1Joh 5:3). However, we must not think that obedience to one command will compensate for our disobedience to another. We must strive never to violate what is holy, and be disobedient (Jame 2:10-13). Some practices can bar us from God's Kingdom (1Cor 6:9,10). We should acquire discernment to see the difference between the more important matters of law, and lesser matters, though still required. In the healthy fear of God, we should seek to hate all badness, while loving what is good, with foresighted shrewdness to see the consequences of both bad and good, and acting accordingly. (Psal 97:10; Prov 22:3) Our faith in God and Christ can thus grow with divine knowledge, as we consider God's word regularly. (Matt 4:4).