"Let me be weighed in an even balance,
that God may know mine integrity." - Job 31:6

It was almost like a dream.

I had felt kind of distant from God for some time, so I decided to ask Him about it.  I called out, "Father, I don't feel close to you anymore, what's happened?"

Immediately, I heard the Lord speaking to my heart, "Take a look at the scales."

"What scales?" was my natural response.

"The scales of your life," He said.

Right before my eyes, a set of scales appeared.   On one side was a label entitled "Close to God."  It was almost empty and was way up in the air.  The other side was labeled, "Distant from God."  You guessed it, it was almost completely full and was so heavy it weighed to the ground.

I was puzzled at what I saw and asked God about it...

..."Father, what does this mean?  I understand that I am not close to you right now and I know that I am distant from you, but what are these scales all about?"

"Son, these two sides of the scales weigh all of the things you do each day of your life," God said to me.  "Some things draw you closer to me and are weighed on one side, while other things you do don't draw you close and can actually drive you away, they are weighed on the other side."

"What kinds of things?" I questioned Him.

God poured out the contents of each side of the scales and gave me the following comparison from the last 24 hours of my life...

Reading the newspaper and my favorite mystery novel, 60 minutes.  Reading the Bible, 5 minutes.

The scales tipped towards the "Distant" side.

Talking about the sports scores with my buddies and the gossip with my co-workers, 72 minutes.  Talking about the Lord Jesus, 1 minute.

The scales continued to tip in the wrong direction.

Watching an R-rated movie, 112 minutes.  Praying to the Lord, 4 minutes, 30 seconds. (I said a quick prayer before going to sleep and asked a blessing before a meal)

I see a pattern forming here.

Decisions made without consulting the Lord, 128.  Decisions made after seeking God's will, 1.

On and on, I examined the contents of the scales and saw even clearer why things were tipping in the wrong direction and I felt so far away from God...

Times I demanded my own way, 87.  Times I was unselfish, 4.

Discouraging, negative comments I made, 91.  Encouraging, uplifting comments I made, 12.

Visits to the grocery store, video store, and department store, 74 minutes.  Visits to  those in the hospital, nursing home, shut-ins and the lost, 0.

Work for my employer, 8 hours, 15 minutes.  Work for the Kingdom of God, 4 minutes.

Times I displeased God during those 8 hours, 15 minutes (off-color jokes, "little white lies," gossip, laziness, not standing up for what is right, etc.) 14.  Times I exalted Christ during those 8 hours, 15 minutes, 2.

I'm telling you the truth, I looked at those scales in disbelief.  Could this be true?  And yet, the scales were accurate.

Doesn't take a genius to figure out why I wasn't feeling close to God, does it?

I looked at the Lord and began to cry out to Him, "Father, I'm so ashamed.  I feel so far away from you.  I just want to be close to you...would you please forgive me?"

Immediately, I saw the "stuff" in the "Distant" side disappear.  The scales dipped down to the "Close" side and I felt the distance between my Lord and I fade away.  I felt close to Him for the first time in a long time.

And I knew what I needed to do to keep the scales tipped in the right direction...

...spend more time doing things that will draw me close to Christ, and less time doing things that drive me away.

What about you, Christian?  When you look at the scales in front of you today, what do you see?  Be honest with yourself.  Do you see scales dipped low on the "Distant" side because so much of your life revolves around yourself and the things of the world?  Or, can you honestly say that you feel "Close" to the Lord today because the "stuff" hanging on the scales of your life are Christ-centered?

I'll ask again, when you look at the scales in front of you today, what do you see?

Have a "Wonderful DAY in Christ,"
Jimmy D. Brown
\o/ Praise Jesus!