WEIGHING INTEGRITY

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.

Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making.

Differing weights and differing measures— the Lord detests them both.

The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.

Proverbs 11:1, 16:11, 20:10, 20:23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In today’s proverbs, we find the use of scales and weights central to a discussion about integrity and what the Lord expects from us. Before we get into the meat of what God is trying to say here, we need to first understand the use of scales and weights in Old Testament times.

Transactions were made by using scales with weights which served as standards to measure against. Goods were then weighed on the scale against a standard to determine weight with a charge then levied according to the outcome. This process was also used when someone wanted to sell a good to a merchant.

The Bible had a lot to say about this process, particularly when it came to dishonest use of the scales and weights. Merchants could manipulate the transaction process to their own advantage by advertising one measurement standard but using one that was of a weight that worked to their advantage.

Here are a couple of modern day examples to illustrate how this might work:

- You go to the supermarket because the holiday weekend is fast approaching and you are having a big cookout for some of your neighbors. You want to buy steaks so to provide the best food possible. You see a family pack of steaks that meets what you’re looking for. It seems reasonable at $7.99 a pound. The package says the meat weighs four pounds and thus the price tag reading $31.96. Let’s say you get home and decide to check the actual weight of the steaks and find that they weigh three pounds instead. You would know at that point that you were ripped off to the tune of $7.99. That would upset you right? And if the store had done that with all their meats, you can see where it would all add up to some pretty significant profits at the expense of the unwary consumer.

- You go to get some gas after grocery shopping and pull up to the pump. You’re almost on empty and so you decide to fill up your tank. Your gas tank holds 16 gallons. The price per gallon is listed at $3.40 per gallon and you proceed to do what you intended on doing. You swipe your debit or credit card and proceed to fill it up. You finish, return the pump nozzle to its holder, and drive off. Your total payment was $65.28. But wait a minute. Wasn’t that payment supposed to be $54.40? It was but the gas station had adjusted the measure to 1.2 gallons vice 1 and so you actually paid $4.08 per gallon vice the advertised $3.40. That would make you pretty angry, right?

It makes the Lord angry too. In fact, look at these proverbs on the subject:

The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. Proverbs 11:1

Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making. Proverbs 16:11

Differing weights and differing measures— the Lord detests them both. Proverbs 20:10

The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him. Proverbs 20:23

It’s clear from the words of Solomon that the Lord finds dishonest and unethical practices detestable. Fraudulent, deceitful actions are unacceptable in His sight and are nothing short of sinful.

Conversely, the Lord honors those who conduct their business with integrity and honesty. Truthfulness in conducting matters of life pleases Him and finds His favor. The Lord blesses those who live upright and in truth.

Question: How would you measure up if the Lord placed you on His scales and weighed your integrity?

We know He, and He alone, can peer into the deepest recesses of our heart, mind, and soul. Nothing is hidden from His sight. And so as He looks within you today, what does He see? Does He see someone who lives in honesty, integrity, and truth, never seeking to lie or deceive or cheat another? Or does He see someone who consistently looks to gain an advantage through dishonest practices, ever looking to sow falsehood, mislead and betray others, and/or take advantage of another’s trust?

As you consider how the Lord sees everything and weigh that against assessing your behavior, keep in mind that the Lord’s evaluation and appraisal is always perfectly fair, just, and accurate. He is the standard for truth and as the scriptures tells us, all the honest scales and balances belong to Him.

Given this, why would we want to allow sin to influence the way we deal with people and matters of life when we know it will only lead us to falling into the Lord’s judgment?

Today and every day, let’s commit ourselves to allowing the Lord to guide our life’s decisions and actions. It’s the only way we can ensure we’ll weigh out properly when the Lord places us on His scale of integrity.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com