We Will All be Weighed on the Scales

 

After two surgeries, I was finally declared cancer-free!  It has been a very painful ordeal physically, but also has been a test for me emotionally and spiritually.  I was asking God why I had to go through all this pain and fear.  Whether from my own mind or from the Holy mind of God, I felt very clearly that I was told I was being weighed.  I knew it had nothing to do with the literal weight of my body, but that God was telling me I was being tested. I knew, as with Belshazzar in Daniel 5, that I was being weighed to see how I would fare the trials coming my way. My circumstances were obviously different than Belshazzar, but the concept of being tested by God is the same. My physical trials have been tests of my faith.  I was weighed and tested to see if I would "honor the God who holds [me in] His hand." For this test and all the others that will surely come, I never want to be found wanting/lacking in faith or integrity.     

“But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven... But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. “Here is what these words mean. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting...  That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain. Daniel 5:22-30 

I believe the Bible when it states we will all stand before God and be judged for our actions (And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Revelation 20:12-13).  That time will host the biggest scales of them all (see also Matthew 16:23) However, for the theme of this particular blog, I am just going to focus on the scales associated with physical, emotional, and spiritual trials.

Did God give me cancer? Probably not, but how I dealt with the diagnosis of the disease these past three months was a test of my spiritual character. Did I pass with flying colors? No!  I felt anger, confusion, and self-pity with all I had to go through.  Yet after much prayer and self-examination, I ultimately decided that if all the pain and suffering I was experiencing could bring glory to God, it was worth it. I would trust God. And like Job, I would not curse God and die, but bless God and live! Even if I had been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, instead of stage 1, I was  and am determined I will always declare:  

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15

Around seventeen years ago I had a dream that an angel of the Lord was handing me a beautifully intricate gold candlestick.  He said to me, "Through the fire, you will be refined pure as gold."  At the time, I was facing persecution at my job and was eventually forced to resign. I have faced more hardships since then. Facing cancer and two very painful surgeries has been one of my biggest tests.  I suspect the evaluations of my faith will continue throughout the rest of my life.  I want to be refined and made better, not melted down and deemed unusable.

And I will... refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. Zechariah 13:9

So how do we keep the scales from tipping us right off of them?  We focus on the Holy Words of God! Jesus never promised us an easy life, but He did promise to hold our hand through it all.  If we can remember God will never leave us, it gets easier. 

[Jesus said,] “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  John 16:22

The hard times will come to us all, no one is exempt.

For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45

However, if we refuse to become bitter and trust God in the processes, these difficulties will only make us stronger. 

They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples... strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:21-22  

The words from 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 have become my new theme:

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

For I am learning more and more that the name of Jesus will be best glorified when I am weak. 

Bottom line is that we will all be weighed on the scales more than once.  As for me, I am willing to be weighed and sent through the fire if it means the name of Jesus will be glorified. 

Although I am in the process of healing from cancer surgery, I still have an on-going neurological disorder that is quite possibly Multiple Sclerosis.  Even as I face the weakness with which this condition continues to plague me, I want to always have the same attitude as the apostle Paul:

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:11-13 

And because Jesus Christ gives me strength, may His name be exalted and praised!

From this day forward may my prayer always and sincerely be:

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Trust

When you are going through a difficult time and someone says, "Just trust in the Lord," do you find yourself thinking, Easier said than done?   There are many reasons why we may find it challenging to trust that God will take care of us.  The main reason is usually because the people you love have betrayed you.  Why should you trust in an invisible God to care about your needs when everyone else that claimed they would take care of you abandoned you? Where was God when you were abused, when you lost a home, when you got divorced, when a loved one died, when you were diagnosed with a frightening illness?  Why should you trust God will be there for you now when He seemed so absent in the past?  I have had this same question.

To answer all of these doubts, I will take you through a journey of trust through scripture.  This may take a while, so get comfortable and be prepared to do a lot of reading!     

When I performed a search on the word "trust," I found 188 Verses!  Since there are too many to list them all here, I will focus on a handful of them.  Please do your own search on either Bible Gateway or other resource and read through all verses listed.  It will greatly encourage you!  

First, in order for you to understand why bad things happen, you should realize that we live in a fallen world.  I will quote a blog I wrote titled, "Now is the Day of Salvation":

"Adam and Eve chose their own selfish wants over fellowship with their Creator (see Genesis 3).  We live in a fallen world because God chose to give us free will.  Adam and Eve betrayed this gift and chose to listen to the serpent’s lies rather than God’s warnings simply because the serpent’s lies were more appealing than God’s Truth.  This is why we live in a world full of death and tragedy, not because God is cruel, but because man chose to alienate us from God by using his free will out of the desire of wanting to be like God... “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) not because He is cruel, but because man chose to defy God.  Man caused this fallen world and the good suffer because of it...

"I will not say nothing bad will ever happen to you in this life.  People who believe God will prevent all bad things from happening end up hating God... “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”(Romans 8:28)   We know God grieves with us and does not intend for bad things to happen.  Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,” which means God does not want bad things to happen.  Does that mean God does not have any control? No, this means we will never fully know why things are allowed to happen because there is a war going on we cannot comprehend.  “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  I Corinthians 13:12 This means that we cannot understand why things happen as they do because we cannot see the big, eternal picture, but when we get to heaven, it will all be crystal clear.  This senseless world will make sense."

Now back to this blog! 

Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the best ways to sum up what it means to trust.  We cannot rely on our own understanding as we do not have the spiritual ability to comprehend the mind or will of God (See Isaiah 55:9).  When we allow our hearts to rule over our brain, it is easier to trust.  Notice the below verse in Proverbs says, "in all thy ways acknowledge him." All means all and includes our actions not just our thought patterns.  Acknowledging God includes repenting of sins and giving up an immoral lifestyle.  When we allow God to have full control of our lives and let go of habitual sins, God will direct our paths.  And when you acknowledge God is holy and sovereign you will doubt less and trust more.     

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

When choosing verses for this blog, it was very difficult to narrow it down, but 2 Samuel:22:31 says so much in just 25 words. I could write a whole blog on this verse alone but I will do my best to sum it up quickly.  God's ways are perfect.  Remember that when nothing makes sense.  When life is imperfect, know that, as mentioned above in Jeremiah 29, it is not the Lord's plans wreaking havoc on our lives, but our own act of rebellion blocking God's hand.  Even when we strive to walk down paths of righteousness, we still live around unseen spiritual forces that are trying to cause us harm (see also the verse in Ephesians 6 listed above).  But rest assured, when we trust Him, when we surrender our will and say we will obey and serve Him no matter what, God will place a buckler (or a shield) about us to turn things around or to give us the strength to make it through to the other side.     

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 2 Samuel 22:31

Now, let's look at Job.  In spite of all of Job's losses, he recognizes that God is good and just and pledges that he will trust the Lord no matter what!  Can we all say the same?  If you truly think about it, even though it is emotionally difficult to imagine losing those you love, and suffer through poor health can you honestly say you would not abandon your faith if you lost as much as Job?  Some of us have been there so you can answer you will.  More realistically, you were angry with God for a while and maybe even gave up on Him.  But God never gave up on you, and you could feel Him calling you back to Him.  Your heart cried for the loss of God even more than those who died, and you realized your heart beat to the same rhythm as Job's.  Your Creator will always call you back to Him.  Trust He loves you and your heart may not fully heal this side of Heaven, but with God, we can find peace in knowing He carries your tears in a bottle (see Psalm 56:8), which means feels compassion over ever tear we shed.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15

Again, it was difficult to narrow it down on which verses to use for this writing, but on the topic of trust, I could not leave out the issue of righteousness.  When you take the time on your own to read verses on trust, you will see how holiness and trust work together as a perfect team.  When you are actively choosing to live a life of sin, I am not speaking of accidental slips or ignorant sins, but of purposefully doing what you know goes against the principles of Jesus Christ, your heart will become too hard for trust to penetrate.  You will only be able to see God as a cruel judge and not as a kind, gracious, loving Father (although yes, you are being judged according got your works - Matthew 16:27).  As the below verse states, when you do not love the Lord enough to sacrifice your ungodly ways at the altar and give up all the things you know are wrong, your stubborn pride will force the trusting side of your heart to atrophy.  The fact is you cannot trust someone you do not really love.  When you love God enough to put your worldly ways behind you, holiness will become synonymous with trusting Him.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord. Psalm 4:5 

Psalm 5:11 says we will be joyful when we learn to trust God.  This is true!  When we can go through a difficult time but know the Lord is in control, we realize we are not as stressed.  We can trust the Lord has us in the palm of His hands and we can relax even in the midst of strife.  When I faced two separate cancer scares in 2018-2019, I told myself I would trust the Lord no matter what the outcome.  While I waited for the results of the tests, I was calm and was able to feel a joy even though, yes, I was fearful. (see Philippians 4:7) Fear is not a sin as Jesus Himself was so afraid he sweat drops of blood, and though it seems strange, we can still trust Him in the middle of scary times and know in the end, it will all work out just as He had planned.     

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Psalm 5:11

I chose Psalm 20:7 & Psalm 118:8 as a reminder that we are not to put our trust in anyone except Jesus!  Politicians will not save you, famous actors and singers will not save you, not even your pastor can save you.  Yes, there are many heroic people in the world, and they can and have literally saved many lives from harm, but we are not to place any human on a pedestal.  Jesus' death on the cross is a free gift to all and He is the only one that can save your soul from hell.  As with any gift, you can reject it or receive it and you can even throw it in the garbage after you accept it.  But when you trust the Lord with your physical and spiritual life and do not rely on humanity, you are acknowledging the beautiful gift of true grace that comes with repentance and daily choosing Jesus to lead and guide your steps.   

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8

Though I could easily make this writing much, much longer, I will end with these two verses in Psalms. The Lord will not forsake us when we seek His face and do our utmost best to walk in ways of holiness.  We can absolutely trust this is true because the Bible repeatedly says so.  But let's take it even one step further.  Psalm 71:1 does not say we will never be confused, but when we ask for assistance, we will have more clarity.  It is easy to feel confused by the worldly advice and confused by even so-called Godly advice.  People contradict each other, but even worse, they go against what the Bible says.  When you trust in what the Lord says and rely only on scripture, not on any human's words, you will not be confused as to the will of the Lord and how you are supposed to act. You can trust that by living as God intended, your mind will be clear, and your heart will be wide open to loving and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ!    

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Psalm 9:10

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Psalm 71:1

No, trusting God is not an easy process, but trusting the Lord leads to joy, repentance, holy living, clarity, and peace! 

Will you listen and obey?

 

The Old Testament books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, & Ezekiel are pretty intense and sometimes difficult to read because of all the horrible things that are precited to come to the rebellious people to which the prophets are speaking (as well as prophesies for our own time). I am not going to dwell on those prophesies today; my focus is on those who willingly approached the prophets and asked for signs.  There are multiple instances, and I am not going to list one specific one but group them together in general because they all follow the same pattern.

Men of the city, usually the leaders, would seek out one of the prophets and beg for a prophecy from God. They would promise to obey to do whatever the Lord asks of them.  They say they will not be rebellious or angry but promise to do the Lord's will.  What they do not consider is that God knows their hearts and if one asks for a word from the Lord, he had better be prepared for an honest answer.  God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The prophets of God were willing vessels and bravely obeyed the Lord in saying all they were instructed to say.  Therefore, when asked for a prophecy, the answers were usually along the same lines (and rings true for us as well): repent of your sins, give up your idols, your false theologies, your immoral lifestyles, and God will bless you. Did the seekers get on their knees and obey?  No!  They got angry and found another "religious" man to give them a new prophecy that tickled their ears and made them happy. Sometimes they even imprisoned, tortured, and/or murdered the prophets that spoke the Truth. They stubbornly held onto their wicked ways until the Lord did as He promised and punished them.  You see, God always, always, always, gives us a chance to surrender our will and give up our sins. God does not desire any of us to be punished now or in death but wants all to live for Him so we can have a joyful life now and spend forever with Him in heaven.  

The Lord... is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  II Peter 3:9  

Aren't we just like the men of old? We beg God to speak to us and promise we will obey.  Yet when we read the Bible and see that God commands us to be separate from the world and the Lord says to "come out from among them, and be ye separate... and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. " (II Corinthians 6:17:18-7:1), we shut the Bible and put it back on the shelf.  We do not want to be told to give up alcohol, drugs, sex outside of marriage, the occult/witchcraft, lying, cheating, pornography, etc.  We plug our ears and shut our eyes to the Truth and go to a happy little church that will willingly tell us there is grace for all our sins, so we do not need to repent because God loves us no matter what we do.  

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. II Timothy 4:3-4 

Today's pastors are not ignorant of what the Bible really says about holiness, they choose to scripture pick the verses that make it seem as if works do not matter.  They know if they were honest like the prophets of old, their offering plates would be empty. They are counting on you to be lazy and just take them at face value and not read the Bible on your own. You are just like those men that sought out Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. You don't want to be told to change your rebellious ways.  

People who preach holiness are called judgmental because we refuse to lie to you.  The truth is, we are not judging you; we care about you and want you to have an abundant, joyful life in Christ. What we say is out of a heart of love, not criticism.  I am not judging any person; I am merely pointing out what the Bible has to say about sin. Those of us who preach holiness love you more than those that lie to you just so you will put money in the offering to help them buy a new car. We don't want your money; we want you to be set free from sin so you can live in peace and have eternal joy in heaven.  Freedom in Christ is repenting of and not repeating habitual sins.  God's grace does not mean you are free to sin.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Romans 6:1-2 & 6 

My point is, do not turn away from the Truths of the Bible just because you don't like what it asks you to give up.  If you are seeking answers from the Lord, that is an excellent place to start.  But don't just say you love the Lord, follow it up with action.  You need to choose to love the Lord more than you love the world. Are you willing to listen to the Truths in the Bible?  Will you give up what God asks you to?  Will you repent and obey? 

These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. Matthew 15:8

“As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. Ezekiel 33:30-32