The Plumbline

Psalm 119:1-8 (The Message) "You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right - you don't go off on your own, you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; then I'd never have regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me." Yesterday, we looked at the importance of paying attention to the little details, the subtle instructions, the "fine print" of God's wisdom. The benefits of staying on course, having a guide to take us through life, and being assured of arriving at our spiritual destination are assured to us ...

Psalm 119:1-2 "You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him." Yesterday, we began a look into the longest Psalm in the Bible - Psalm 119. This Psalm was written by King David, the anointed of God called to serve in the capacity of the King of Israel. Within the verses of this Psalm we find life-altering, life-challenging "keys" to developing in our walk with Christ. Each concept taught builds upon the other. If we had no other chapter from the entire Bible except this one, we could learn the importance of following Christ in passionate pursuit, how to avoid the pitfalls of sinful shortcomings, and what a life of worship entails. As we begin today, we will explore the first of these "life concepts" that David so aptly shares under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. David opens by sharing a blessing with his readers - "You...

Psalm 119:1-8 (The Message) "You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That's right - you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me." Ever want to live a "blessed" life? A truly blessed life? Probably more than we admit, we have this yearning deep within to really enjoy our days, feel that something valuable came out of the decisions we made today, know that someone or something was made better by our involvement. It is not...

The writer of Proverbs penned the words, "Give yourselves to disciplined instruction, open your ears to tested knowledge." (Proverbs 23:12) One of the easiest things for many of us to do is to believe what we are told or taught without ever seeking to validate the knowledge shared. As a believer in Christ, we have an obligation to avoid blind belief in everything we are taught or are exposed to over the course of our lives. There is an expectation that we will apply ourselves to learning - active, involved, frequent and committed study of the Scriptures. It is the goal of this blog to offer words of wisdom, thoughts that challenge, and even subtle humor that draws us closer together in the Lord. Disciplined instruction is characterized by that which produces development of self-control (something I lack more than I'd like to admit), obedient actions (now I've gone and meddled), and orderly conduct. We often "bristle against" anything that smacks of disci...