Proverbs 21:1-15

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts.” (Proverbs 21:2, NKJV)

The human heart has an amazing ability of justifying itself. It will pin the blame on everyone else rather than admitting its own sin. We can justify most any word or action. The mother of an axe murderer will say, “He is just misunderstood.” What I would give for a politician who would say, “It’s my fault.”

But all of our excuses and all of the lies we spin don’t change the weight of our hearts (except to prove that we lack integrity). God weighs the hearts on His heavenly scale.

Do you remember when King Belshazzar of Babylon brought in the holy vessels of gold that his grandfather took from the temple in Jerusalem? He filled them with wine, and they drank and praised the gods of gold, silver, wood and stone (Daniel 5). Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand, writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace. The king’s face turned pale, his knees knocked together, and his legs gave way. Then he called for Daniel who gave this interpretation:

-God has numbered the days of your reign and ended them.

-You have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.

-Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

And that night the Medes and Persians breached the walls of Babylon, and Belshazzar was killed.

How much did Belshazzar’s heart weigh? Evidently, not enough. How much does my heart weigh? I know that my body weighs more than it used to, but is my heart gaining weight?

How do we increase the weight of our hearts? I believe it comes down to love. David loved God and was a man after God’s own heart. Therefore, his heart weighed much on God’s scale. Jesus loved God and loved people and laid down His life to save them. He holds the world record for heart weight! Likewise, our hearts will weigh more if we increase our love for God and for others.

You may set a goal to lose body weight in 2024, but will you join me in putting on some heart pounds?