Weighted Spirit
Today's Verse:
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. ~Proverbs 16:2
A man was in trouble. He had forgotten his wedding anniversary, and his wife was very upset with him. She told him, "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds, and it better be there!!" The next morning, he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke up, she looked out of the window and, sure enough, there was a gift-wrapped box in the middle of the driveway. Confused, the wife put on her robe, ran out to the driveway, and brought the box back into the house. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.
All kidding aside, we use scales to determine our weight. Medically speaking, we all know that maintaining the right weight is essential for good health. During Solomon’s time, weights and balances were common and necessary devices that were used in all monetary transactions to prevent against fraud and deception. Weights and balances are a measurement of integrity and honesty. Solomon uses the metaphor of weights and balances to help remind us that God alone is the real Judge concerning the cleanness of our lives. This morning, the question that we must ask is, “How much do we weigh before God in cleanness?”
The first thing we see is a mandate.
Every man is required to judge himself thoroughly. 1 Corinthians 11:31 says, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” According to the Scriptures, self-examination is a mandated requirement. The psalmist prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The daily reading of God’s Word, the submission to the preaching of God’s Word, and the frequent memorization of God’s Word help to prick our heart and conscience concerning the areas we have neglected, sins we have not confessed, and areas in which we are weak. None of us are as clean as we think we are. We are required to examine our hearts all the time.
The second thing we see is a mistake.
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes.” All of us have too much self-righteousness within us. “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” We can mistakenly compare ourselves to another person and think we are spiritually alright. That’s what the Pharisee did when he compared himself to a certain publican. Be careful of thinking you are thoroughly clean in your heart. Be careful that you do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think. Let your attitude be, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
The third thing we see is a modification.
“The LORD weigheth the spirits.” The Word of God is the only reliable weight and balance that can help us see where we are out of balance when it comes to sin, inconsistencies, and uncleanness in our lives. The Lord will cause us to see what is really sinful about us. Let the Lord place your soul life on the scale of His Word, and with a good conscience, let Him show you where you are coming up short and wanting. Like Belshazzar, we shall find out that we have been weighed in the balances and are found wanting.
The final thing we see is a manifestation.
God will show us our sin and wrong. God did that to Achan; He did that to Samson; He did that to David; He did that to Elijah. God will do it to us as well. Be sure that you find out your sin before your sin finds you out!
Humble yourself this morning before God, and allow Him to weigh your spirit. Be willing to accept what God reveals, and then confess your sin, forsake it, and move on.
Have an examined God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Exodus 10-12