The Plumbline

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, 8) As we close out another year, let us keep in mind two things Christ asks of each of us - two things that will give us the best start to our new year. First and foremost, connect with him. We cannot expect to make wise decisions about our future, much less our present circumstances when we are not actively connecting with him. Secondly, we need to remain in a close relationship with him. The branches of a vine are no good without connection, but when connected, they have a source for life. Branches that are intertwined will actually grow stronger than those that are just trying to do things on their own. One vining branch may attempt to grow in the opposite direction of the rest, producing just a bit of fruit, but in time, the heat of day will scorch it, the birds will pick it clean, and the landscaper will lop it off! The vine a...

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (Galatians 5:24-25) Hey, does your cross have a bunch of holes where the nails have been driven time and time again? I know I have a seen God drive a nail home when he convicts me of something he wants to change in my life, then after a while, there I am with the hammer trying to remove that nail! Nail and hammer in hand, I go about doing the very thing God asked me to allow him to nail to the cross! It is likely we all struggle with that from time to time, all because we want to control the course of our lives just a bit too much. The 'control thing' is really a combo of our pride and our lusts getting the best of us. We want what God says we should not have, then we struggle with the desire to possess it, before long giving into that desire instead o...

Have you been waiting for what seems like forever to see the fulfillment of a dream, answer to a prayer, or intervention of some kind in your life? I imagine all of us are in this position from time to time, finding it harder and harder to wait, even wanting to give up on whatever it is we hope for entirely. If you find yourself there today, you aren't alone 'waiting for your rescue'. The one thing we must do is put our hope in God's promises. What he says is true - trustworthy, firmly grounded, and never failing. In the 'wait', it may not seem that way, but God will never compromise his watchfulness or his careful attention toward us! I am worn out waiting for your rescue, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes are straining to see your promises come true. When will you comfort me? I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees. (Psalm 119:81-83) Waiting makes us feel like withered up wineskins, doesn't ...

Even though I have troubles and hard times, your commands give me joy. (Psalm 119:143) Sophocles said, "There is no success without hardship." Eric Greitens said, "Of course fear does not automatically lead to courage. Injury does not necessarily lead to insight. Hardship will not automatically make us better. Pain can break us or make us wiser. Suffering can destroy us or make us stronger. Fear can cripple us, or it can make us more courageous. It is resilience that makes the difference." I'd have to say the 'resilience' we have in our lives is heaven sent - it is not humanly possible to endure some of the hardships life sends our way! Resilience is the power or ability of a particular 'material' to return to its original form/position after being bent, stretched, or compressed. There are hard times that seek to disturb our 'form' and remove us from our secure 'position' in Christ Jesus. We must be able to 'bend', be ...

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:16) Robert Half told us that 'when one teaches, two learn.' I couldn't agree more! In order to teach, one must learn first what one is teaching, but within the teaching, additional learning actually occurs. It is kind of like a tiny embryo of knowledge begins to break into two, then four, and so on. Half also put a question out there for us to consider today: "When your future arrives, will you blame your past?" Too many times, we blame our past, but did we have the opportunity to learn from whatever it was in our past that we blame today and just didn't heed that opportunity? If you ever get into the scripture and find there is 'new meaning' in a passage you have likely read time and time again, you are just seeing it from today's perspective. T...

The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error. (Voltaire) People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. Blessed are those who fear to do wrong, but the stubborn are headed for serious trouble. (Proverbs 28:13-14) Voltaire also reminded us that "God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." How well are we living today? Some will say their life is 'pretty good', others will remark that 'it could be better'. Either way, we still have room for improvement no matter how long we live. We can never 'outlive' doing right any more than we can outlive doing wrong! We need to be honest with ourselves when we don't live up to what God desires of us and confess that we need his help to 'do better'. Mankind has always made haste to get into trouble. What we need is God's help to make haste to move away from sin...

If someone actually pointed out the way for you to find entrance to something you didn't even know you were looking for, would you go there? There are a whole lot of individuals who don't know they are looking for Jesus in their lives, but when they find someone pointing the way for them to find him, they are amazed at what they discover when the 'enter in'. We all need to be 'pointers' to the one who can answer every question, settle every dispute, open every mind, heal every heart, and bring peace to every troubled emotion.  Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:9-10) Come in through him - no other way will matter, nor will it bring the same reward. We try a whole lot of 'ways' to get peace, settle our emotions and sort out our troubled minds, but there...

Wayne Dyer told us, "Conflict cannot survive without your participation." The conflict we feel at times is not always because someone else is causing it - there are clearly times when we are the ones choosing to engage in the conflict ourselves. There are also times when the conflict is not with another, but rather with one's own self! If we are to overcome conflict, some of us will need to deal with the internal conflict we bring upon ourselves, as well. Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit? (Proverbs 18:13-14) The human spirit can endure much, but when we are in conflict within ourselves for any reason, it is easy for us to feel rather 'crushed' under the burden of that conflict. Repeatedly ignoring the inner conflict one feels is kind of futile, isn't it? The more you try to sweep it under the rug, the more it rears its ugly head. Inner turmoil mus...

Wealth is elusive - we seek it through career moves, investments, and maybe even through inheritance. Billy Graham once said, "When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost." Many put all their hope and trust in the wealth they can attain on this earth, almost lording it over others who don't 'possess' as much as they do. Kevin Gates reminded us that "true wealth is not of the pocket, but of the heart and of the mind."  The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor. (Proverbs 18:11-12) Our wealth on this earth will never be a very strong defense. Inflation will dwindle what we have amassed, markets will crash our faith in what we have invested, and illness can destroy both our ability to amass or enjoy what we have laid aside. Our greatest wealth is what we find within relatio...

I have had those moments when I just wanted to say or doing something, but if I did, I knew the backlash would be more than I wanted to receive. It is a battle of the mind and will over emotions at times, isn't it? We 'think better' than our emotions tend to lead us on occasion - perhaps making 'emotions' one of the hardest and most fickle things we have to deal with once we get our mind under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. Doing wrong is easy - doing right is a bit harder at times. Behavior matters, no matter what anyone says - behavior stems from all three - mind, will and emotions. Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt. (Proverbs 18:3) Back in the day, teachers used to give out little 'awards' to students with great academic achievements, including those who consistently exhibited good 'classroom behavior'. As you might have guessed, I might have received a few notes home to mom saying I was a bit of the clas...

  "Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have." (Margaret Mead) If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (Matthew 16:24-25) A few caring people was all Jesus needed to spread the good news about the grace he offered. A few caring people is all this world needs to see that message continue to bear the fruit of changed lives today. We have a commission, but are we fulfilling it to the best of our ability and to the best of his enabling? Our ability may be lacking at times, but his ability always exceeds our expectations! All that we have - Jesus never asked for more than that we lay down our lives in service to him. What might that look like today? It could be that he asks us to reach out to the shut-in widow or even stop long enough to t...

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. (Matthew 3:8) As a kid, we'd often find a friend boasting about something they had seen or reported to be able to do, so we'd challenge them with 'prove it' dares. We wanted evidence that what they said was actually to be trusted. It is not uncommon to ask for someone to prove something we find just too difficult to believe, or that we have a 'block' toward receiving, isn't it? We seek evidence in order to 'validate' the claim. Is it any wonder John the Baptist would challenge those who made claims to be 'believers' to 'prove' their faith by the way they lived? I think it is a fair thing to request - to see evidence that our life is more than just a set of rules without the substance of a changed inner character. Prove by the way you live - that pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? If we want others to trust our statement of faith, they have a right t...

"Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your good health has vanished." (Og Mandino) This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12-17) The same way Christ loved us - is it possible to love that much? I don't believe Jesus would have told us to do so if he wouldn't also empower us to love in such a manner. How does one actually lay down their life for another? Does it always require physical death? I don't believe Jesus would have told us to al...

Our words have a tendency to just escape our mouths before we have a chance to really think about how we are responding, don't they? On occasion, we say things that should have been left unsaid, causing hurt feelings and sometimes crushed dreams. I know Covey says we are to seek to understand the other person first, then make ourselves understood AFTER we have listened well. That part about 'listening well' isn't actually in operation when we are blurting out our words without thought! A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. (Proverbs 15:1, 4) A tree of life - did you ever think of your words in that way? Our words reflect more than our present attitude - they reflect our 'indwelt attitude'. The more Christ fills our hearts, the more of his grace and truth we will express - even when our 'attitude' is tired, on edge, or bordering on needing an adjustme...

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. (Colossians 3:5, 10-11) Put to death...put on your new nature. These are very clear instructions - put the old away, put on the new. Stop going back to the old - stick with the new. How? Be renewed - we need a renewal process to occur. It is not enough to just say 'yes' to Jesus - one must press in to know him well, forsaking all manner of sin, and embracing this new life in Christ with all the passion we once put into pursuing our sin! In counseling realms, we call this the 'put off - put on' dynamic. We 'put off' some behavior that is not good for us to pursue and we replace it with one that is honorable, upright, an...

"One that would have the fruit must climb the tree." (Thomas Fuller) And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7) Fuller also reminded us that all things are difficult before they become easy. We may not find our walk with Jesus all that 'easy' right now, enduring some struggles along the way, but you can trust me on this one - the longer you remain consistent in following his path, the easier it is to trust him when the path becomes hard. One that wants fruit may find it is higher up in the tree than he can reach easily - so he has to find a way to obtain that fruit, doesn't he? Why would it be any different when we desire God's rich spiritual fruit to be produced and enjoyed in our lives?  We have to continue in our walk - ...

I frequently shake my head over something silly I have done or notice around me. It as though I am standing there in just a bit of amazement over the 'stupidity' of my actions or someone else's, wondering just how I ever thought 'that' would work out well for my situation or theirs. I don't know what your 'that' may be, but I do know I don't stand there shaking my head alone as I have observed others shaking theirs, too! It is as though all 'good sense' exited the building and now we are left to deal with whatever the 'lack of good sense' left behind.  You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. (Psalm 119:73) Marcus Aurelius said, "Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears." We can get all upset over injuries others cause us, but we can really get ourselves in a tizzy over the ones we inflict upon ourselves because of our lack of 'good sense'. They say poverty i...

There is probably not one of us that would be able to say we haven't endured at least a bit of suffering of some sort in our lives. At one point or another, we will go through something that challenges us beyond our capacity. What our response is in those challenging times usually helps us to realize where our focus has been directed - what has our attention and even our affection. We might not always view suffering as a positive thing - mostly because there is a whole lot of unpleasantness in it! We might not always feel like we came away from it in an 'unscathed' manner - probably because our emotions are a bit raw, and our lives have been in upheaval for a bit longer than we might have wanted. Truth be told, our suffering is actually good for us, even when we think it might not have been the most rewarding thing to endure. My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold a...

When I shop, I am kind of a 'wanderer' - I go with a certain thing in mind, but I wander a bit to see what I may find that is a 'bargain' that I didn't count on finding. The moment I find that 'bargain', I am glad I wandered a bit, but not all my wandering is that successful! Sometimes I find the wandering doesn't produce much more than a few extra steps. It is possible to find 'good' within our wandering, but it certainly isn't the best mode of operation when it comes to our Christian walk! You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised. I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge. I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. (Psalm 119:65-67) A walk of integrity requires a commitment to stay the course. In other words, there isn't a whole lot of 'wandering' to see what one may find. God has frequently had to show me where my 'wandering'...

To 'reflect' one must realize the power of the mind to direct the course of action one's mind actually takes within that time of 'reflection'. What our minds contemplate may be quite different than what we intended as we began that time of reflection, being influenced by what we have seen and heard earlier, or whatever makes demands upon our thoughts at the moment. We tend to have a hard time 'reflecting' today because of the varying number of distractions we have that vie for our attention, don't we? I find the night hours can be the most troublesome at times, being awake for hours 'contemplating' something that is 'worrying' my mind. Rather than 'contemplating' our worries, it would be best to let God take those and contemplate his instructions or promises instead! Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. (Psalm 119:54-...

We might want to 'walk a straight path', but find ourselves kind of wishy-washy in some way, seeking to find 'happiness' in all those elusive places our mind creates or society touts as the 'answer' for our unhappiness. We don't exactly know how it happens sometimes, but we find ourselves seeking 'happiness' instead of contentment and joy. We find the plans God has for us a bit 'burdensome' because they don't produce 'instant happiness' in our lives. What we need more than anything is to ask God to help us stay the course, walking only in his path that is laid out in his word, and to have our focus changed from the elusive things that only report to bring us happiness, but really leave us quite unfulfilled and seeking something else. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money! Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give...

I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. (Psalm 119:15-16) There are some in society today who equate 'study' with 'debate'. The real meaning of 'study' in our passage is to apply - to make application of the truth one is reading and reciting. We may not realize it, but society's norms may not be God's norms. When we 'study' God's word in such a way as to apply it in our everyday living, we may find just how far society has drifted from God's commands. God asks us to examine, inspect, and investigate his word. We aren't just to read it, pick out the pieces we like, then discard the rest. Some call that 'cherry picking' the best from amongst the hardest. We aren't going to understand the entirety of God's word the first time we read it, so when we reject any portion that is too hard for us to understand completely, we are 'cherry picking...

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. (Psalm 119:1-3) Would you say you are 'upbeat' about all the steps of obedience God asks you to take in life? If you are anything like the rest of us who serve Jesus, you have your moments when being 'joyful' about a step of obedience God seeks isn't exactly your first response. In fact, your first response may be, "You've got to be kidding!" When he asks us to forgive someone who has hurt us deeply and doesn't really seem to be remorseful, we might respond like that. When he asks us to let go of some habit we have been holding onto forever, we might balk at the request because we know how hard it will be to let go. We don't always respond with an 'upbeat' attitude when obedience is requested, do we? Joyful are peopl...

Open my eyes so that I can see all the wonderful things in your teachings. (Psalm 119:18) Most of the time, the main thing we need in life is to see things just a bit clearer. We have a general idea of what may be happening, or where we may be headed, but we seldom see the bigger picture of all that will be involved as we get from here to there. We need eyes opened, hearts prepared, minds cleared of certain expectations, and a willingness to move forward. There is no greater thing we can seek than to ask God to do just that in our lives! The teachings of today may not amount to 'the whole deal', but they will add to the ones from yesterday, preparing us for the ones tomorrow will bring, but we need to be patient as God unfolds them to us. When things unfold just a little bit here and there for us, we can get a little impatient waiting for the final reveal, can't we? What happens when we set out on a journey? We have a destination in mind, don't we? We 'sort of'...

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8) Fix your thoughts - this certainly is a telling statement as our thoughts have a way of getting away from us in rather short order, don't they? What we think about matters. What we ruminate upon over and over again will eventually cause us to make the right choices, or it will lead us further down the road of wrong choices. We cannot afford to be 'unaware' or 'willy-nilly' in our thought life. We need our thought life to be disciplined and determined. While this is not an all-inclusive list of what we are to think upon, it is certainly a "telling" list that could help us see what we have been thinking upon and whether those thoughts are doing us more harm than good. Positive, true, and honorable words and actions actually stem from positive, true, and honorable thoughts. God is faith...

Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice. Fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas. (Proverbs 18:1-2) Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon) The right use of knowledge - have you given that idea much thought in your lifetime? I have possessed some knowledge on occasion, never really sharing it, holding onto that knowledge because I never felt it an appropriate time to share it. We probably all have done that, but to really consider if there is a 'right use' for the knowledge we have been given is always an act of wisdom. Not all knowledge is something to be 'broadcast' or 'touted'. Sometimes it is meant to be held close to the heart, prayed over, and then release...

When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. (I Peter 2:15-16) Have you ever wanted to stop someone from spreading bad things about you or someone else? It is only natural to not want someone's 'dirty laundry' aired in front of others, isn't it? As some would say, they hope to 'control the narrative' when it comes to what gets shared about how they live their lives. I would say it is much better to have the right 'narrative' than to attempt to control a wrong one! Truth be told, ignorant people go around telling things about other people that would be best left unsaid in the first place. Whatever we do, we want our 'doing' to be honoring of Christ - when it is, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to the 'narrative' of our lives. The narrative will be written in ...

Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. (Colossians 1:9-11) It is good to hear that someone is praying for us, isn't it? If we are struggling with even the simplest of things, we want that support behind us. We also want someone to be lifting us before the throne of God when it comes to our spiritual growth. We want to know that no matter how much the trials and temptations come against us, we have an advocate lifting us up over and over again, don't we? God listens for those pray...

Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream—a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful. (Psalm 1:1-3) We receive all manner of advice on how to invest our money, where to buy a car, what neighborhood is the best for our children, and what to wear if we want to impress. All this advice may be of some benefit to us, but there is no 'advice' on this earth that is going to open the door for us to share in relationship with Jesus. We need the wisdom to listen to truth, not just advice.  Advice might be formed after many trials and errors on someone's part. After failing a good number of times, when they finally find the 'formula' that works, they feel like they can offer their advice wit...

We have seen that God All-Powerful really is all powerful! But he is just and never treats anyone unfairly. That is why people fear and respect him. He shows no respect for those who think they are wise. (Job 37:23-24) We serve the one who makes heavens heavy with rain and snow; winds that gentle the leaves and topple them at times; oceans that flow in and out with rising and ebbing tides; and the one who takes notice of our every action or inaction with his watchful eye. God's justice is sometimes not understood - as much as we try to understand his holiness requires the need to judge sin, it is hard for us to wrap our heads around a merciful and loving God bringing 'justice' in a sinful world. I think we have come to think of justice as everyone being treated equally rather than that a morally righteous God cannot tolerate sin and must expose it for what it is. Sin is sin - give it all kinds of other names, but it is still sin. All sin must be judged by a holy, righteo...

Don’t love this evil world or the things in it. If you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. This is all there is in the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. But none of these comes from the Father. They come from the world. The world is passing away, and all the things that people want in the world are passing away. But whoever does what God wants will live forever. (I John 2:15-17) Where are our affections placed? Whatever we focus on the most likely has more than our attention - it may also have our affection! Three very clear indicators our life may need a bit of adjustment are laid out in our passage today. There is a tremendous desire to please one's own self in this world today - go after what YOU want and don't be concerned about what it may do to others. The thought of pleasing oneself can take over the thoughts and heart of an individual, making everything they do ve...