There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. One for each day of the month. As I was reading yesterday’s, the 16th Proverb, verse 11 stood out. It says,
“Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s; All the weights in the bag are His work.”
Proverbs 16:11 NKJV
I thought on that for so long. What could Solomon mean by all the weights in the bag are His work? Finally, I looked at it in the New Living Translation, and the words painted a picture in my mind.
“The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.”
Proverbs 16:11 NLT
In Biblical times, every merchant had a scale and a set of weights for measuring goods. A dishonest merchant kept two sets of weights and used the one that benefited them most. As goofy as this is, I could picture the Lord standing there ready to put me on the scale but first He demanded the scales be accurate. What could be more accurate than His own weights? There is no injustice in Him. All the weights in the bag are His work, He sets the standards for fairness. All things that are weighed on His scales are weighed against His work. So if He weighs me against His mercy, how do I measure up? Am I lacking? If He weighs me against His joy, is it equal? If He weighs me against His love, do I balance the scale?
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.”
Ephesians 5:1-2
Everyday my desire is to be more like Him. Everyday is another chance to get on the scale and see if my love for my neighbor compares to Jesus’s love for His neighbor. To see if my love holds no record of wrongs, because His love holds no record of wrongs. And if it doesn’t, then I need to make changes because my example to follow is Christ. I think sometimes we let ourselves off the hook because Jesus was perfect and we could never be perfect. However, living as imitators of Christ is not about achieving perfection, it’s about becoming more and more like Him so that the world sees Him in us. Some days you will look less like him, some days you may be so far off from Him that the scale doesn’t even move. That is just more opportunity for growth. That’s a testimony. That’s a chance for you to say look where I was and look where the love of God has brought me.
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