330 DRRIC – Understandable Reflection

October 29, 2025 Proposition: True wisdom is shown in ordinary life: acting honestly, entrusting your way to God, and speaking thoughtfully before His presence.

Proverbs 20:23–25 

“Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord, and dishonest scales are not good. A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way? It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows.”

Reflection 

Sometimes our choices seem small and insignificant: a slight twist of the truth, a “white lie,” or planning as if everything depends on ourselves. Yet it is in these very ordinary matters that it becomes clear whether we truly walk in the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 20:23–25 teaches us that true wisdom is made visible through honesty, surrender, and devotion.

In Proverbs 20:23, Solomon speaks of unequal weights that are an abomination to the Lord. God hates injustice, and in Leviticus 19:35–36 He commands honest measures and weights as an expression of righteousness. Honesty reflects God’s character and is therefore a spiritual obligation. It is essential to act truthfully and to do what is right—in church and work, in words and deeds—in order to honor God.

Dishonest scales in this proverb symbolize deceit and falsehood in business. Proverbs 11:1 also teaches that such practices are an abomination to the Lord because they violate truth and righteousness. God calls His people to honesty and integrity in every area of life.

Then we read, “A man’s steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?” This verse emphasizes God’s sovereignty and His guidance in every person’s life. It reminds us that our paths are not determined merely by our own choices but by God’s providence.

We see the same truth in Jeremiah 10:23, where the prophet confesses that it is not in man to direct his own steps. Thus it becomes clear that the Lord does not merely permit but actively governs all things. This gives comfort and assurance to believers: God has a purpose and a plan for every life. Yet it is also a solemn reality that those who do not listen to His voice and do not believe in the God who offers grace will bear the punishment themselves, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Still, we may know that although all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, those who believe in Him and repent—by God’s grace and leading—are freely justified by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Those who do not yet know Christ are called by these proverbs to repentance: to turn away from dishonesty and from the desire to walk their own way, as Adam and Eve once did in the garden of Eden. Because of the sin that clings to us and our own iniquities, we must listen to the voice of the Lord. For He has made known to us that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that He Himself says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

We also read the rhetorical question: “How then can a man understand his own way?” We cannot fully comprehend God’s plan, but we are called to humility and to trust in His wisdom rather than our own understanding.

Finally, we read: “It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows.” Here we are warned against making hasty promises to God. We must think carefully before we commit ourselves to something, for impulsive vows can lead to spiritual and practical harm. When we later reconsider what we have vowed, it shows regret after a rash decision. In God’s sight, breaking vows is sin, for vows spring from faithfulness to Him. This proverb therefore emphasizes sincerity and steadfastness in what one promises.

How short we fall in this, you who read or hear these words. Who among us has never made a promise—to God or to others—that we did not keep? Yet we may know that God’s grace is great, and that He calls us to faith and repentance. Repentance means laying aside sin and confessing it. Then we may know: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Let us not look to ourselves, but to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Let us look up to the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Amen.