Daily Devotional For Sunday, May 31, 2026
Good morning and praying you have a great day today. Today, we are going to look at Proverbs 14:10, “The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not share its joy” (NASB). Scholars call these kinds of Proverbs “couplets” (see Pr. 14:13 & Pr. 16:3) – meaning the first part while true does not make sense without the second half. Some scholars call these types of Proverbs “synonymous parallelism.” I’m sure after learning this, it just made your day, didn’t it?
Many of the Proverbs challenge our worldview. We tend to see things from our own opinion rather than seeking divine or God’s opinion. We tend to see things from a purely horizontal plane rather than a vertical one. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this:
“Humanity remains willfully and stubbornly limited to the horizontal. We jealously guard our autonomy from heaven: we much prefer to think, maintain our attitudes, and conduct our lives independent of our Maker. Consequently, human opinions influence us more than God’s commands and principles. We base our choices on what’s best for ourselves and our loved ones (maybe) without much regard for the long-term moral implications. Horizontal solutions give us the illusion of greater security and pleasure, so we tend to either reject or ignore vertical remedies to our challenges.” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Living the Proverbs: Insights for the Daily Grind, Kindle Edition, p. 2).
Because vertical or divine wisdom fills the book of Proverbs, we would be wise to choose the vertical over the horizontal. Instead of trusting the Lord (vertical) to solve a problem for us, we resort to the horizontal, we attempt to manipulate and figure out a solution on our own. In Proverbs 14:10 above, it uses the word “bitterness.” This is the Hebrew word [מָרַּ֣ת, morah]. This word originally meant “to be rebellious, contentious, and disobedient.” It metaphorically came to be used for “grief, heartache, and bitterness) We see this use in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, Joshua 22:22 and in 1 Samuel 20:30. The word “rebellion” in these three passages is this same Hebrew word – “morah.”
The first use of this Hebrew word being translated as “bitter, bitterness” is in Genesis 26:34-35, where the word translated as “grief” is this same Hebrew word – morah. Proverbs 14:10 affirms that the heart knows its own bitterness. You probably know people who are bitter and scripture says that bitterness is a choice. When life comes at us we can either choose to look vertical and become better or look horizontal and become bitter. Better or bitter?
The word bitter originated in 725 A.D. and it referred to something sour or acrid. The word eventually became part of the English language and was in common use in the Middle Ages and Shakespeare uses it numerous times in his plays and poems, as do many other dramatists. But as with most words, they take on other meanings and uses through time. In 1627, in a publication called Seaman’s Grammar, this citation is found: “Bitter is but the turne of a Cable about the Bits, and veare it out by little and little. And the Bitters end is that part of the Cable doth stay within board.” In this case in 1627, a bitt is a post fastened on the deck of a ship. This was used for fastening cables and ropes. Therefore, when a rope is pulled out to where there is no more rope at the end of the bitt (the post), then there is no more rope to be used. In other words, when you reached the end of the bitt, you had no more rope to use to control the sails and the rudder and you were at the mercy of the sea. From that nautical use, came two phrases we use today: “I’m at the end of my rope” and “the bitter end.” Over time the suffix, “ness” was added to the word. And from your high school English grammar class you remember that the suffix “ness” refers “to the condition of”; thus, bitterness came to mean “the condition of being bitter, the condition of being at the end of your rope, the condition of being soured or acrid.” In other words, people become bitter when something has happened to them in which they had no control over. Meaning they find themselves at the end of a rope and at the mercy of the treacherous sea of life, which is pummeling them with waves of pain.
Hebrews 12:15 states, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled” (NASB). Bitterness is a venom that permeates the heart of a person and in time kills them emotionally and even spiritually. Chuck Swindoll illustrates this in the true story between 2 sisters who became bitter over each other:
“This is a true story about two sisters, both unmarried, who lived together. At some time they had a disagreement and stopped speaking to one another. Since they were unable to move-out on their own financially, they continued to use the same rooms, eat at the same table, use the same appliances, and sleep in the same room . . . all separately without one word. A chalk line divided the sleeping area into two halves, separating doorways as well as the fireplace. Each would come and go, cook and eat, sew and read without ever stepping into the other sister's territory. Through the black of the night each could hear deep breathing of the other, but because both were unwilling to take the first step toward forgiving the other over the silly offense, they co-existed for years in the grinding silence of bitterness” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Improving Your Serve, pp. 69-70).
The reason bitterness is so dangerous is that its venom only poisons the one who is bitter. So, when life comes at you, will you choose to be better or bitter?Jesus said this about bitterness in Matthew 12:34b-35, “For a man’s heart determines his speech. (35) A good man’s speech reveals the rich treasures within him. An evil-hearted man is filled with venom, and his speech reveals it” (TLB). You can tell when you are around a bitter person – their speech reveals it. We can choose to blame others or life and when we do, we have chosen to “B – lame.” No one wants to be around a bitter person, not even a stranger.
Blaming solves nothing, but choosing not to let what happens to you define you makes the difference. So many people, including Christians let life define them and not the Lord. No one has gone through such evil as our Lord on this earth and He never became bitter. Why? He chose not to see crucifixion, but the conversion of you. He chose not to see the nails in His hands and feet, but your name written down the Lamb’s Book of Life. All of this gave Him joy.
Reflection Assignment: Is there any bitterness in your heart towards someone or some situation? Let it go. Turn it all over to the Lord. Please do not continue any longer being poisoned by the venom of bitterness. Forgive them and move with the life Christ wants to give. Become the blessing people want to be around, not the burden they distant themselves from daily.
Scripture To Meditate On: Job 21:25, “Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good” (NIV).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, please free me from the bitterness in my soul as I trust You with it and You give me a better life. I do not want to live this way. I do not want the poison of the venom of bitterness to ruin my relationship to You and to others. I am no longer going to blame; instead I am going to bless those who hurt me as You command in Matthew 5:44-45. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly