Proverbs 11:1-2 

¹ The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. ² When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Online

            Someone bought a pair of shoes online, and did not get what’s expected? The picture posted online did not justify the pair of shoes delivered to the buyer. There is no shortage of complaints about deceptive pictures of items sold online.

Deception in business transactions had been an old age scheme biblically. The Hebrew name Jacob is also a Hebrew term for deceiver. Jacob deceived his brother Esau and father Isaac. When Esau heard that Jacob took his blessing from their father Isaac, he cried aloud bitterly and asked his father to bless him.

It narrated in Genesis 27:34-36, ³⁴“Bless me—me too, my father!”

³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

³⁶ Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” 

Jacob took advantage of his hungry brother and bought the right of the first born. He took advantage of their blind father Isaac and took the blessing of Esau. Jacob was a deceiver but later on, the Lord changed his name Jacob to Israel which literally means struggle with God. Deception isn’t absent among Christians.

Can we avoid deception? Let’s meditate on what David advises in Psalm 37:1-6: ¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; ² for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. ³ Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. ⁴ Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ⁵ Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: ⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

            We should always ask help from the Lord. When by faith we pray that God gives us the desires of our heart, we ask him which practical step we should take that leads into godly path designed for us. We pray for inspiration to accomplish our goal also. But how can we specifically know which practical step God wants us to take? Whichever practical step we may take, we don’t sense doubt. Really?

His Holy Spirit gives joyful peace as confirmation of his delight with our decision.

1.  Delight

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

            The Lord favors anyone he delights in. He delights in honesty and accuracy.

Wherever you are, have you internalized that God wants you to be in such place? Whatever situation you have right now, it could be your chance of a lifetime to experience how God glorifies his name through your circumstances. When it says that the Lord favors accurate weights, is it limited to business transactions?

Together, let us reflect on Luke 6:38, ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

In business transactions, especially, in the market places, weighing scales are use to measure the amount of items that has been purchased. Many market vendors try to manipulate their weighing scales to deceive naïve customers.

Violy

But a market-vendor lady named Violy uses accurate weighing scale. Each time we buy grocery items from her stall, she won’t receive our payment; she even added into our grocery basket more than what we wanted to have. One day, she joyfully informed us that she just built a multiple-storey house. She said that regularly giving the tithes of God is her secret for making good decisions in life.

            It says in Malachi 3:8-10, ⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 

Ordinary mortals rob God. No one wants to give God’s tithes. We can only obey his command to give when the Holy Spirit inspires us to give; he also helps us visualize greater situation for betterment when we give his tithes. Christians like Violy proved that God practically blesses all the more when we prioritize him.

Yet with human instinct, we disobey the Lord. Oftentimes, we defy him.

Why? Does human pride cause disobedience to the Lord? We need godly wisdom to conceptualize a terrible disgrace as consequence of disobedience.

2.  Disgrace

              ² When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

            Personally, have you internalized that humility is manifestation of wisdom? God favors the humble, and he opposes the proud. Pride can manipulate anyone. The internet provides numerous videos of embarrassing disgrace caused by pride. Pride can confuse anyone not to be aware or foresee possible tragic accidents. Pride can manipulate anyone to disobey and defy the Lord and ignore his power.

            In contrast, humility exhibits wisdom. Humility is exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ. Together, let us meditate on what it challenged in Philippians 2:5-11:

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

            Christ exemplified humility in obedience to God the Father even to his death on a cross. We should follow his exemplary humility. The reward given to him should inspire to trust more excitedly that God had already prepared reward for obedience. But by sinful instinct, we defy the Lord. We can only realize that it’s wise to obey the Lord with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It challenges us in                   James 3:13, ¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

            Pray to be filled with the Spirit of wisdom to do things in humility. Deeds done in humility are biblically wise kind of good life we should focus onto. It is not specified if it is great or small deeds; which means, the Lord does not define the wise by ordinary activity or spectacular performance. It is humble behavior that identifies the wise in the eyes of God. Who is wise among us? Let’s be humble!

            It says in Colossians 3:12, ¹²As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

            Surely on human effort, we cannot clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Why? Godly characters originate from the Holy Spirit of God. It’s also wise to seek and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

            To realize our need and seek help from the Lord, humility is functional in us.

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