Truth

​Dear Friend,
How are you?  I’m well.

On January 20th this year, I read Proverbs chapter 20 and read the verse 10:
“Diverse weights and diverse measures, 
They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.”  
Then, I thought to myself that there are a few other verses in Proverbs that talk about diverse weights and diverse measures.  And I’ve been thinking that there should be no cheating in business.  I didn’t really meditate on that verse much, as I think I would never cheat others by diverse weights and measures, if I would be in some kind of business.  Then, I highlighted the verses that speak about the importance of our words from our lips or mouth.

Then, I think it was the very next night when I had a dream, hearing the Lord speaking to me.  I didn’t see any in the dream, but I heard His voice only and it was so clear.  He was actually teaching me with the verses I read from Proverbs 20, saying “The verse on diverse weights and diverse measures you read is more on a double standard than cheating others in business.  Just like you highlighted the words on lying lips, it is also talking about “truth” that you’ve been meditating on.”  When I woke up in the middle of the night, I still remembered what He said.  Though I felt it was His voice, I wanted to make sure whether it was really Him and whether I understood Him correctly.  So, in the morning, I grabbed my Bible in The Passion Translation version.  I usually read New King James Version, and now refer The Passion Translation often, as it is not word for word translation from the original languages, but the meanings in the cultural contexts are translated into easy English. So, I looked up Proverbs 20:10 and stood amazed, reading “God hates it when you demonstrate a double standard – one for “them” and one for “you.”  I already read through the book of Proverbs in The Passion Translation long ago, but as I didn’t compare each verse from each different translation, I would have not known the expression of a double standard was the verse on diverse weights and measures in New King James translation.  And the Lord wants me to understand the meanings correctly, as He intended.  Now, I got to realize this verse on a double standard is indeed talking about truth.  I thought I would never sin by cheating others in business, but when it comes to a double standard, I’m not good at it and I really need His grace.  I believe if we criticize others in our hearts or in our words, there is a high risk of having a double standard.  I don’t know about you, but for me, I realized that I focused on the flaw in someone else’s life and yet failed to notice the glaring flaw of my own.  And most of the time, it was out of pride, out of self-righteousness or out of religious spirit.

I don’t like the selfish, but recently while I was cooking, the Lord shed light on my selfish motive in praying for someone.  He made me realize that I prayed for him, not to bring joy to Him but to make myself comfortable.  I know that my initial prayer for him was out of a pure heart, but I lost it and then prayed out of selfishness.  I repented, being thankful to the Lord for letting me know.  While I don’t like the selfish and sometimes even look down on them in my heart, I was being so selfish.  It’s merely one example.

I believe that one of the best ways not to have double standards would be not to judge others.  It includes judging others both in our hearts and in our words.  I believe we have One and Only True Judge, Who searches our hearts.  I recall the late Pastor Neville Johnson said that we are not smart enough to judge others.  We don’t know their upbringings, their circumstances and their hearts.  I think we don’t even know our own hearts, unless God shows us our motives.  The Scripture says, 
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
 
Friend,
While I read the book of Proverbs, I realized it talks about truth quite often.

“Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.” (Proverbs 3:3~4)

Friend, it’s my prayer that you and I write mercy and truth on the tablet of our hearts.  And we don’t judge others and we don’t have a double standard.  The Truth shall make us free.

Have a bliss!
Yunee

Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1~5)