Scripture Reading: Proverbs 16:2-3

“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.” (Proverbs 16:2)

If it weren’t for the Holy Spirit speaking to our conscience we would be like animals. Thank God for the Spirit of God that still strives with us!

Yet, in spite of this Gift of God to us, man refuses to listen and hear the voice of God. As a result, instead of man being led by God, he is led by his own will.

When that happens, he loses his ability to reason as to what is right and what is wrong. As a result he thinks that he is not sinning, when in fact, he is.

Many prominent men and women have convinced themselves that the things they allow themselves to do are not sin. Preachers cheat on their wives; Christians fall into the sin of adultery, cheating, lying, stealing, and they don’t even feel any conviction of sin, because they have hardened their hearts against the voice of the Holy Spirit. They even blame others for their sins. The unfaithful man blames his sin of adultery on his “cold” wife. In his own eyes he is not to blame.

But God has scales. And all our sins and transgressions will show the weight of our sins very clearly one day. And if our repentance hasn’t equaled our sinning, we, like Babylon, will be “found wanting” (Daniel 5:27).

Even our nations are on God’s scales. If He weighs the mountains in His balance, how much more our nations (Isaiah 40: 12b, 17)?

God doesn’t only weigh our sins, He also weighs our spirits. None of us are perfect. We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. But we can repent so sincerely that our spirits will balance the evil deeds we have committed. Help us, Lord!

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)

In order to commit yourself to someone you must have trust and faith in that person, otherwise your heart will be full of fear when you are put to the test.

Many pray and ask God to do something, and then they try to help God do it. But the Lord knows that if He will answer our prayers, we will not give Him the glory because we have played such a prominent part in bringing about the answer to our prayers. But if we can take our hands off the project, we will see the Almighty step in and begin to do signs and wonders far beyond our expectation. God says, “Your thoughts shall be established.”

Your heart’s desires will come into existence. The writer of the book of Hebrews knew this when he wrote, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1).

This is the reason God gives you the desires of your heart, even that, for which you have never dared to pray. God has seen your thoughts — and your thoughts have been established, i.e. they have come into existence. In God’s eyes our thoughts speak as loudly as our spoken requests. So be careful what you desire! He may give you what you want, and it could send leanness to your soul, like it did for the Children of Israel — “He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul” (Psalms 106:15).

Many fall into sin because God allows them to be tested through giving them the things they long for, and they think God is good to them, but He is only testing and trying them.

Not everything that happens to you is God’s best for your life. Be careful! Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil.”

Gems of Wisdom by Gwen Shaw
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