Daily Devotional For Saturday, May 30, 2026
Good morning and good day. Hope your weekend is going well. Today, we are going to look at Proverbs 11:1-3:
“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. (2) When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. (3) The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them” (NASB).
As you can tell, these first 3 verses focus on honesty and integrity. Honesty and integrity get the Lord’s favor or delight. The Hebrew word translated as “delight” or “favor,” depending on your translation is [רָצוֹן, retzon]. This use here might take the reader back to his previous use of this word in Proverbs 10:32, “The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse” (NIV). Righteousness and honest speech bring God’s favor (see Pr. 10:31-32). Honesty and integrity carried over in the marketplace wins God’s favor.
Our Lord abhors perversity, whether it is through speech (Pr. 10:32) or through deceptive practices (Pr. 11:1). The results are the same – the wicked will be cut off. Verses 2-3 above explain how people become perverse, deceptive and wicked – pride. “Dishonest scales” in that day were real. Corrupt merchants often had inaccurate pans, or a bent crossbow or intentionally mishandled the product on the scale. None of this should be a part of God’s people then and now. Those who are God’s people working in the business world should be honest, above board and transparent.
Any dishonesty by God’s people bring the judgement of God on them (see Pr. 3:32; Pr. 20:10; Lev. 19:35-36; Deut. 25:13-16; Ezek. 45:9-10; Hosea 12:7-8; Amos 8:5 and Micah 6:10-11). Old Testament scholar Burce K. Waltke writes this:
“Ancient weights were stones … carved in shapes with a flat base, which made them easy to recognize – they had either a turtle, or a duck, or a lion inscribed on them” (Source: Bruce K. Walktke, The Book of Proverbs , Chapters 1-15, p. 482).
.Such weights would also be inscribed with its weight on it. Weights were carried in a pouch or wallet (see Deut. 25:13, Micah 6:11). A deceitful merchant carried in his pouch differing weights (Deut. 25:13; Pr. 16:11). Deceitful merchants would have a weight that was too heavy for purchase and a too light one for selling. Dishonest merchants outwardly defraud their neighbors, buyers and inwardly deny God, whose image they bear. Old Testament scholar Donald J. Wiseman writes this:
“In those days, weights had a margin of error up to 6% and few Hebrew weights inscribed with the same weight proved to be identical in weight” (Source. Donald J. Wiseman, Weights & Measures, p. 1245).
In verse 2, pride [זָ֭דוֹן, zadon] is mentioned. Pride denotes a psychological state of an exaggerated opinion of oneself that does not match reality. Prideful people are possessed by self-deceit. They are the ones who stand in front of the mirror saying, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest or best of them all” and they intentionally choose to speak for the mirror, “I am. I am better than this person.” They do not let the mirror reflect back to them an honest reflection of who they are. They are so full of themselves that the only person they can see is themself. They have such inflated egos that they have difficulty squeezing their head into any room.
Pride is a characteristic of the wicked. Pride comes because the presumption of self-importance results in a usurpation (the attempt to seize power you do not have) of authority that rightly belongs to the Lord and to others in authority. Such behavior is rebellion against the Lord (see Pr. 6:18-19; Pr. 18:12). The wicked extend an invitation to pride to accompany them in their deceitfulness. God’s answer to this is found in Proverbs 12:14-28.
Reflection Assignment: As you were reading this devotional it is possible that as you did a name or face came to mind? The main question then is this: Was it you or someone else? If it was someone else, why do you think it wasn’t you before them? The answer to that is pride. We can see it in others easily but it is a lot harder to see it in ourselves. Would you take some dedicated time to look in the mirror of God’s Word and ask Him to reflect back to you where you are prideful, deceitful and mis represent the truth. If you won’t, guess why? – Pride. What did God reflect back to you and what is going to be your response to Him?
Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Lord, please show me where I am prideful. Please reveal to me where I am attempting pridefully to seize what is not mine to seize. Lord, please humble me. I do not want You to consider me to be part of the wicked. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly