January 16, 2023 - Proverbs 16:11

“The LORD demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.” Proverbs 16:11 NLT

Lord, we praise you for what this verse means. You demand accurate scales and balances. We can trust that you will always judge with fairness. Even when it doesn’t seem like it from what we can see, the truth is that you cannot be anything but fair. You can’t shift the scales in favor of some and not others. It is through you that we have an example of what justice should look like. We have a standard that is set by someone who is not self-seeking or biased. Teach us to learn to trust you and your ways. We want to fully believe to our core that you are a just and fair God.

Lord, we also praise you even though you are a God of justice and fairness, you are also a God of mercy and grace. You offer forgiveness. At face value that could look like unfairness and showing favor. And that would be true if you didn’t freely offer forgiveness to everyone, but you do. We can all receive your forgiveness. But even though your forgiveness is free to us, it wasn’t free to you. You can tip the scales and forgive just for the sake of forgiving, but for the scales to be balanced a price must be paid for that forgiveness. When a wrong is committed there must be a consequence for the scales to balance. Jesus, that is where your blood comes in. It is what balances the scales for us. We praise you for paying the price of our sin. Forgiveness might not cost us anything, but it absolutely cost you something. We are so grateful that you paid that price for us. We thank you for your forgiveness that you give freely to us. Teach us to forgive others the way that you forgive us. We don’t want to make up our own justice system and determine what is fair and what isn’t. Help us to put things in your hands and trust you with it. Guide us in this process, Lord.

In Jesus name, amen.