Proverbs 21:2 - Meaning and Application

We are all inclined to be partial when we judge ourselves and our own actions. We tend to think too well of our own character, as if nothing were wrong with it. “Every way of a man, even his side road, is right in his own eyes.” The proud heart is very clever at putting a good face on a bad matter, and at making what is plainly wrong seem right to itself, so it can quiet a troubled conscience.

But we can be sure that God’s judgment about us is true and fair. No matter what we think about ourselves, the Lord weighs the heart. God looks at the heart and judges people by it, including their actions, motives, and intentions. His judgment is as exact as ours is about the things we consider most carefully, and even more exact, because he weighs all things in a perfect balance (Proverbs 16:2).