Thought for the Day

A pair of scales is a symbol for justice and equity. Scales were used in Biblical times to determine quantity and price of certain goods (see Day 67). Dishonest men used stones weighing less than they were supposed to, thus cheating their customers out of what they paid for. People could not see the deception, but God could and declared it an abomination (Proverbs 11:1). God is the Author of all that is balanced and just.

Many Biblical teachings are also out of balance. Some take extreme views of God's Word; using a "false weight" by pulling out portions of Scripture and building them into false doctrines. Scripture must be considered in context and compared with other verses to give them true "weight" and bring teaching into balance. Using portions of Scripture out of context is like creating a false balance, resulting in error. Unbalanced teaching has caused a great deal of division in the body of Christ. Those on the outside are affected, since they see extremes that should not exist, and therefore want no part of Christianity.

We have all been out of balance at times. Walking in perfect balance with the Lord is not easy. However, the Holy Spirit desires that we learn this balanced walk. It is the only way we will come into maturity. When we learn a new truth, we are often like a pendulum. Sometimes we swing too far in one direction because we are so eager to hear and practice new things. However, after these are learned, it is important that we swing back into balance, incorporating what is newly learned with the whole of what has already been learned. If we "camp" on just one new aspect of truth, and forget everything else, we end up in advocating extremes that bring discord and possible deception into our lives.

Jesus is the Rock. He is solid and stable; He does not change. For this reason, we can trust the word He has spoken to us. If He said it, it is truth because He cannot lie. If we believe what He has said, faith in His Word will produce those things promised to us. Knowing only portions of the Word can cause us to become unbalanced. We must seek to know the whole truth and completely surrender to the will of God for us to be victorious Christians. Stressing only one portion of God's Word invariably results in error. This is the reason for many "faith" failures today. It is not so much lack of faith that fails to produce the answers that people seek, but faith in something that God has not said. This is the result of failing to "rightly divide the Word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).