Proverbs 20
We read previously that honest scales and balances belong to the Lord so we understand that God wants us to possess fairness, honesty and integrity. Proverbs 20 shows us the importance of being honest with everyone around us in our daily lives. For instance, in verse 23 we are told that the Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him. Dishonest scales refers to the loaded scales a merchant might use in order to cheat customers. Those who cheat others think that their actions will not be discovered and they will have benefited from what they did. Unfortunately, Statistic Brain estimates that $270,000,000,000 is lost annually by the U.S. Treasury due to unreported income. Maybe they cheat because they just don’t think they will be caught. After all, this same report states that 79% of people think it is morally wrong to cheat on their taxes.
But as Christians we value what God thinks of us. We want His approval. As verse 17 explains “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet, but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.” Sometimes, it is tough to do the right thing, but we should always take the moral high ground. After all, integrity can be described as doing the right thing when no one is watching. And as Children of God, we know God is not only watching, but helping us by “directing our steps”(v.24).
Something to think about. What is verse 1 saying about the abuse of alcohol leading the unwise astray? How could this affect someone’s integrity or honesty?
By Rebecca Dauksas
Seek Grow Love 