Proverbs 11

Read Proverbs 11

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.” Everything comes down to details. Is a merchant's dishonest scale just one minor issue in a busy life of buying and selling? What is the person doing who cheats customers that way? How is that detail of a “false balance” an important part of a larger story of forgetting the fear of the Lord?

God finds us out. If we are willing to be found by Him, we can have more than shame. We can move on to humility, and with humility we can grow in knowing God and serving others.

When God came to save us, He came in the power of humility. Christ gives us hope for an existence beyond bad character. By the power of the Spirit we pursue the way of holiness that He has appointed for His people.

This life of faith, hope, and love is not only an individual pursuit. “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices.” We follow Christ together, and we bear our neighbors' burdens. True goodness that flows from the Messiah will change the way we listen and speak to one another. Real love will confront deceit and violence. It will rescue the desperate.

Most of all, the love of Jesus creates a generous society of faithful followers. Those who find their life in Him will grow in good will, even toward their enemies. They will give and forgive. They will receive love from the Lord and pass it on, and yes, they will not use a dishonest scale when measuring out goods to their customers.

Jesus has secured an honest future for everyone in His family. He has become the fountainhead of every good gift to all who will take refuge in Him. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” The Messiah is living within us and among us. “Whoever captures souls is wise.” We have been taken captive by the Lover of our souls, and His presence among us makes a big difference in the details of our lives.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O Lord, greed will destroy us so quickly. Deliver us from death, or we will fall by our own folly. We need help from You in the depths of our souls. If we can truly be righteous we will be of benefit to many people, but if we travel on the road of wickedness, we will be the source of much trouble for ourselves and others. We know that the way to true prosperity now and forever can only be by the way of wisdom. Make us generous and pure. What great character Your Son had in His earthly days! He never sinned. We have become His inheritance. He has captured our souls, and we are glad. His wisdom and godliness endures forever.