God's Weights and Measures by Mrs. N. A. Honeywell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 18, 1913

God's Weights and Measures

By Mrs. N. A. Honeywell

MRS. N. A. HONEYWELL

God weighs and measures. “He hath . . . weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance.” Isa. 40:12. The weight of the earth and each heavenly body is accurately fixed, for upon this depends the equilibrium of the universe. He “weigheth the waters by measure.” Job 28:25. It is estimated that during the recent flood in Ohio and Indiana 6,000,000,000,000 gallons of water fell, or enough to cover fifteen million acres of land to a depth of one foot. This would weigh about 25,000,000,000 tons, and yet God had it all weighed and measured.

Every government has its standards of weights and measures fixed by law, and God's government is no exception. God has scales in which he weighs moral worth, or character. He weighs the nations,—the men of high as well as of low degree,—and finds them lighter than vanity. They weigh absolutely nothing in God's scales. Isa. 40:15; Ps. 62:9.

The law of God is the standard of weights and measures in his government. Christ's character meets the standard in every particular; it is full weight and perfect measure. John 15:10. All have sinned and come short; all have failed to measure up to the standard. Rom. 3:23. The only way to make up the deficiency is to have Christ dwelling in us; and the more of Christ we have, the heavier will be our weight in the scales of heaven.

Some are so unwise as to measure themselves by others. 2 Cor. 10:12. If we do this, we shall place our standard too low, and shall be satisfied with ourselves and our own course of action. Prov. 16:2. But unless Christ is in it all, when weighed by God we shall be found wanting. “By him actions are weighed.” 1 Sam. 2:3. The motive which prompts the act determines the value of each act in the sight of God. “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jer. 17:10.

Every character is to be weighed, every one to be measured. Close and searching will be the test, exact will be the measurement. “Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet.” Isa. 28:17.

This work is now going on in heaven. The angel was commissioned to “rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.” Rev. 11:1.

Let us not give up in despair, feeling that we can never reach the standard, for God has provided the way. “Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” Eph. 4:7. What is the measure of this gift? “In the gift of Jesus, God gave all heaven. . . . To human reasoning the whole plan of salvation is a waste of mercies and resources. Self-denial and whole-hearted sacrifice meet us everywhere. . . . The atonement for a lost world was to be full, abundant, and complete. Christ's offering was exceedingly abundant to reach every soul that God had created. It could not be restricted so as not to exceed the number who would accept the great Gift. All men are not saved; yet the plan of redemption is not a waste because it does not accomplish all that its liberality has provided for. There must be enough and to spare.”—“Desire of Ages,” pages 565, 566.

What kind of service are we rendering to God in return for all his gifts to us? Are we giving him “scant measure,” which is abominable in his sight? Micah 6:10, 11. “With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matt. 7:2. The only measure of God's gifts to us is our capacity to receive. He gives his Spirit without measure (John 3:34); the latter rain is already falling, but what kind of vessel have we prepared to receive it? See 2 Tim. 2:20, 21. If it is only a pint cup, that will be our measure. The only way to receive more is to give more; for giving enlarges both our capacity and our desire to receive. “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” “For he that hath, to him shall be given.”

The things that weigh most in the Lord's scales are judgment, mercy, and faith (Matt. 23:23); so if we leave these out of our lives, we shall surely be found wanting. No amount of attention given to outward ceremonies will make up the deficiency. We need to use the faith which God has dealt to us (Rom. 12:3), and it will increase, bringing every other blessing with it.

The Lord weighs our paths (Isa. 26:7) and measures our tears. Ps. 56:8. He knows our strength and adapts the trial to it, for he has promised that he will not allow more to be placed upon us than we are able to bear. Job 6:2; 1 Cor. 10:13. If we endure the trial, however heavy it may seem, we shall find that it works out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Cor. 4:17.

God's measuring rod is his law of love. It is only as his love dwells in us and we are rooted and grounded in it that we can begin to measure the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of God's gift to man in his Son. Eph. 3:17, 18.

Punta Gorda, Fla.