DAILY TEXT, Thursday, December 4, 2025. Jehovah examines the hearts (Prov. 17:3).

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Thursday, December 4, 2025

Jehovah examines the hearts (Prov. 17:3).

A very important reason to protect our symbolic heart is that Jehovah examines hearts. What does that mean? It means that he sees beyond what people see. He knows everything inside us. If Jehovah sees that we treasure his counsel, he will love us. In a heart filled with that life-giving wisdom, there is no room for the toxic lies and corrupt standards of Satan and his world (John 4:14; 1 John 5:18, 19). And the closer we draw to Jehovah, the more we will love and respect him. We will not want to do anything that would hurt our Father’s feelings; we will even hate the idea of ​​sinning against him.

A sister in Croatia named Marta was tempted to do something immoral. She wrote: “I couldn’t think clearly. And I found it difficult to fight the desire to temporarily enjoy sin. But fearing Jehovah protected me.” How? Marta said that, thanks to that fear, she began to meditate on the consequences of making a bad decision. When faced with temptation, we can do the same.

What do you learn from what happened to Leo?

A person who fears Jehovah strives not to justify wrongdoing and does not minimize the danger of bad company. That is something Leo had to learn. This brother from the Democratic Republic of Congo began associating with bad company four years after his baptism. He reasoned that as long as he personally did nothing wrong, he was not sinning against Jehovah. But his friends soon influenced him, and he began to drink heavily and engage in sexual immorality. Then Leo began to think about everything his parents, who were Witnesses, had taught him and how happy he had been before. He reconsidered, and with the help of the elders, he returned to Jehovah. Today, Leo is an elder and a special pioneer, and he is happy.

Which two symbolic women will we talk about in this article?

Next, we will analyze chapter 9 of Proverbs, which contains practical lessons for everyone, men and women. In this chapter, we hear about two symbolic women. One represents wisdom, and the other, folly. As we study the following paragraphs, let us keep in mind that Satan’s world is obsessed with sex and pornography (Eph. 4:19). That is why it is vital that we continue learning to fear Jehovah and to turn away from evil (Prov. 16:6). The two women we will discuss address the inexperienced, “those who lack sense.” It is as if they were inviting them into their home to enjoy a meal (Prov. 9:1, 5, 6, 13, 16, 17). But the two invitations have very different outcomes. What are they? Let’s see.

According to Proverbs 9:13-18, how do the guests of “the foolish woman” end up?

Let's begin by discussing the invitation of the "foolish woman" (read Proverbs 9:13-18). She brazenly calls out, "Let everyone who is inexperienced come here!" She invites the inexperienced to enjoy a good meal. And what becomes of those who enter her house? "There are those who are powerless in death." This is not the first time Proverbs has spoken of such a woman. In earlier chapters, it warns us of the dangers of the "wayward woman" and the "immoral woman." It tells us, "Her house is ruined by death" (Prov. 2:11-19). Proverbs 5:3-10 also warns us to beware of another "wayward woman." Of her, it says, "Her feet go down to death."

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