The Plumbline

The Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27) We most frequently call out to God when we are at our weakest, don't we? You can actually tell that you are maturing in your walk with Jesus when you begin to seek him more and more, even when you are not experiencing some catastrophe or weakened spiritual, emotional, or physical state! God sent his Spirit into our lives so that we would have his help - in weakness and when we believe ourselves strong (even when we might not realize just how weak we are). This is especially important in times of seeking God - in times of prayer, when we don't k...

For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. (Ephesians 2:10) Workmanship - we think of it in terms of what we can produce. God thinks of it as what he has produced! We are his own master work - a work of art. We put art on display, don't we? Why would God do expect anything less from his works of art? We are 'put on display' in this world, to reveal God's love and grace to others. As his creation, we were spiritually transformed, renewed, and made ready to be used by him in this world (in whatever capacity he chooses to use us). In other words, we aren't 'stagnant' in our faith. We allow God to use us wherever he places us. Life changes each day - new experiences com...

Are you so foolish and senseless? Having begun [your new life by faith] with the Spirit, are you now being perfected and reaching spiritual maturity by the flesh [that is, by your own works and efforts to keep the Law]? (Galatians 3:3) Thinking we can 'improve upon' what grace has accomplished in our lives is one of the most 'over-practiced' things in the church today. Our new life in Christ is never 'improved upon' by our own works or efforts to be 'good' children. In fact, the over-emphasis on 'doing' instead of 'becoming' is actually a trap the enemy uses to keep us from 'becoming' who God created us to be. Too many times, we emphasize what it is a Christian 'does' instead of focusing on who that Christian is in Christ Jesus. We are called to live holy lives, but that doesn't mean we get to the place of holiness by doing a passel of good works! For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually tra...

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt And cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:1-2) You may not realize the act of mercy as much as you do the 'feeling' of mercy. God extends his mercy to us whenever we seek it, all the while 'feeling' the tremendous load of guilt lifting as he does. We are remorseful and kind of 'down' on ourselves because we gave into temptation. We 'feel' guilt because it is actually an emotion that begins to dominate our thoughts and other emotions whenever we find ourselves 'crossing some line' that our subconscious mind told us not to cross. The desire we entertained gave way to an unwarranted or unwanted action and now we are 'feeling' it. It only stands to reason that God's mercy would elicit the exact opposite reaction as our guilt did, doesn't it? Mercy is God's ...

The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes]; Therefore, abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode. (Proverbs 17:14) Most of the time, this world is in some form of strife. We see one 'battle' settle down, only to observe another start right up. As long as humans are human, strife will exist. As long as Christ inhabits humans, there will always be peacemakers and peacekeepers! A small break in a dam may seem insignificant at first, but the first big storm that comes along will 'prove' the integrity of the dam even more, won't it? The integrity of one's heart is proven whenever the 'big storms' of life come into our relationships.  Abandoning a quarrel may seem like a big thing to ask because we all have the opinion our 'issue' is the biggest one in the midst of the quarrel, don't we? We might not realize the damage the 'small crack' is doing...

Blessed  [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature]  are the pure in heart  [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character],  for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8) It is one thing to live an 'upright' life by this world's standards - it is quite another to allow God to establish the standards for one's life. When God set out his standards in his Word, he was giving us a framework by which we were to conduct our daily affairs, as well as come into and enjoy the relationship we have with him. Thinking of a standard as a guideline or a boundary, we can begin to imagine how important it is for us to have the right 'footprint' to follow. In my woodworking set-up, I have some 'templates' that I can place over the wood I am cutting, allowing me to reproduce a certain design each time. In much the same way, God's Word is a template by which he can reproduce his design in our lives time and time again. Purity of heart isn't achieved easil...

For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; he will beautify the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:4) God takes great delight in his people taking great delight in him. When we delight in something, we are doing more than just 'enjoying' something - it gives us a deep sense of value or worth. My children, although as imperfect as I am, give me great delight. I value their presence in my life, as well as find great enjoyment in their talents and unique personalities. One shares everything that is going on their life, from work to home; the other is content to just be quiet, share a few things, run a few ideas past me, and just hang out. One is not more valuable than the other. They both have great value. In God's kingdom, all of us have great value - we are something God takes great delight in. Do we take as much delight in being part of his family as he does in making us part of it? The promise to those who take great delight in him - they will be 'beautified' with ...

Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted]. (Matthew 5:4) I cannot take God's grace for granted - how about you? I still find myself calling upon that grace daily. There is no end to our need for his grace. Have you ever thought of grace as 'refreshing'? When someone is refreshed by grace, new has come, something 'different' begins within one's spirit, soul, and mind. Sometimes God doesn't even 'reinvigorate' the old - he completely removes it! I have had moments when I feel 'sorrow' over my misdeeds, but I haven't really repented for them. The act of changing one's mind is often referred to as repentance. If all action begins in the mind, that could be a good place to start. If the work of changing one's mind is being done in your own effort, you might just find it is harder than you imagined! A lot of us feel some fo...

The sum of Your word is truth [the full meaning of all Your precepts], And every one of Your righteous ordinances endures forever. (Psalm 119:160) If you hadn't considered this passage before, let me begin by saying that there are far too many individuals today who take God's Word as a kind of smorgasbord of ideas they can pick and choose from as they wish. The SUM of his Word is truth - not SOME of it. That might seem a little too narrow-minded to some, but whenever we exclude any part of his Word as 'impractical', 'not for present day', or 'unimportant', we are always going to arrive at a 'partial SUM' rather than the SUM. According to PhraseHub.com, the original use of 'pick and choose' ranges back to the 1500's. While it may have first been used as a term when selecting fruits and vegetables at the market, picking only the best-looking ones and leaving the rather squishy or overripe ones, the meaning includes much more. It really...

The unfolding of Your [glorious] words give light; Their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike). (Psalm 119:130) If you have ever tried to really 'get into' God's Word, only to find yourself in a little over your head when it comes to understanding what is being said, then you are not alone. The 'understanding' of God's Word seems to come in 'bits and spurts', doesn't it? I think that may be because God knows if we understood it all at one time, we'd be either so overwhelmed, or we'd forget just about everything we were shown in rather short order. Childlike faith is actually encouraged throughout scripture, with Jesus even telling his disciples the children should never be discouraged from coming to him. Why? A child's mind is curious - it loves to explore. It is open to being taught. Why do you think we start elementary school at an early age? It is because the ability to 'critically think' doesn't really s...

Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is His name, ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’ (Jeremiah 33:2-3) Consider for a moment that the one who formed this earth with the purpose of establishing it would actually reveal to us things that have been hard to understand - things hidden from the naked eye. This is what he promises - to reveal what we don't know, find difficult to understand, and have a hard time distinguishing. That might explain how we can know when the enemy of our souls is trying to pull a fast one on us! We only need to call upon him in order to be able to see clearly what Satan would have us never see in the first place! Call - I will answer. Seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it? Yet, we find ourselves muddling around in all manner of murky situat...

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7) The playwright, Robert Greene, reminds us, "We do not see people as they are, but as they appear to us. And these appearances are usually misleading." Seeing is not always believing, is it? I can look one way but be thinking something entirely different than I 'let on', and so can you! The 'appearances' can always be deceiving - we must look deeper into the heart of man, at his spirit. God teaches us to not depend upon those outward appearances - there is something much more important for us to see and it originates within the very spirit of a man. The heart - mind, will, emotions - the inner man. Whatever you call it, the make-up of a man or woman isn't always the first thing we look at when we see another. We ...

But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. (James 1:22) The proof is in the pudding is an old adage from the early 20th century indicating that what is put to the test actually performed as it was supposed to perform. "Proof" actually meant 'test' as it was used in the original context. Faith must be tested to see if it performs as it is supposed to - if it doesn't, it is back to the drawing board for it! Doers of the word willingly submit their faith to the testing it requires in order to 'prove' it as steadfast and enduring.  As we incorporate God's word into our lives, we begin to see subtle changes occurring. They may not happen all at once, but as we internalize his word and allow it to work upon our emotions, thoughts, and the stubbornness of our will, w...

Francis of Assisi reminded us, "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned." Errors or offenses happen, don't they? We might be the offender, or the offended, but either way, there can be a significant amount of distress caused. Consequences are 'due' whenever there is an offense. Eat a few extra calories each day and the 'offense' will end up with the scale tattling on your indiscretions! Drive consistently over the speed limit and you are likely to encounter a radar enforcement of your 'offense' at some point that will cost you a significant amount of time or money to deal with your 'offense'. The more we 'offend' or are 'offended', the more we will come to see these occurrences are not without consequence - unless there is an outright forgiveness of the offense. For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others [nurturing...

Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied. (Matthew 5:6) I like to read a passage in the Amplified Bible from time to time because it expands the original text with helpful meaning as you will observe in the box brackets above. When we limit our understanding of a word to what we commonly use that word to describe, we often miss the deeper meaning of the word when it is used in context in scripture. Blessed really carries the expanded meaning of 'nourished by God's goodness' or 'joyful'. Either way, it describes both being protected by God and having all our needs taken care of in only the way he can. Joyfulness is the result of being in relationship with him - seeking that 'right standing' with him. It comes because we enter into a place where all we thought we needed in this world really pales in comparison to wh...

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:3) Our spiritual emptiness (poverty) may come as a surprise to some of us, but to God, it is no surprise. The humble heart will recognize that poverty of spirit and will seek God's plan on how to fill that emptiness within. Those unwilling to admit their spiritual poverty will attempt to fill that void in many truly unsatisfactory ways. None of those 'other options' will ever make a man or woman any less 'poor', though. When we recognize our need for him, we aren't just asking for a 'temporary fill-up'. It isn't like our gas tank on our car where we go, fill up, then drive hard until the tank is almost empty again. The 'top off' of our spiritual 'tank' is continual, with his Spirit refilling us over and over again with each time we set aside a little time to be with Jesus. The car won't run with an empty tank and neither...

Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” (Joshua 6:1-5) It is time we come to realize the more we look for God to work in conventional ways in our lives, the more he will surprise us by using unconventional means to accomplish his plans and purposes. The walls may be tightly shut, but you can rest assured that God is no match for those walls. The enemy may ...

Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself to have “arrived”, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honor of being called by God in Christ. (Philippians 3:14) It probably comes as no surprise to some of us that goals get set and then somewhere down the line, they get 'unset' or 'unrecognized'. Some will have been too lofty or unrealistic, so we set smaller ones. Others will simply have been reliant upon someone else to do their part and since they didn't, we had to abandon them. Either way, the goals didn't end in the results we had hoped for. What do we do when what we had planned doesn't work out as we expected it to in the end? We migh...

But now, put all these things behind you. No more evil temper or furious rage: no more evil thoughts or words about others, no more evil thoughts or words about God, and no more filthy conversation. Don’t tell each other lies any more, for you have finished with the old man and all he did and have begun life as the new man, who is out to learn what he ought to be, according to the plan of God. (Colossians 3:8-10) The most powerful statement any of us can remember is: "You have finished with the old man and all he did and have begun life as the new man, who is out to learn what he ought to be..." Sometimes it feels like the 'old man' is still in control, giving into our tempers, not so God-honoring thoughts, gossip, and all kinds of ill-advised schemes. It would do us well to rehearse these words over and over again, especially when the 'old man' side of us wants to take control. Reminding ourselves that we have 'finished with the old man' isn't ju...

A sensible person wins admiration, but a warped mind is despised. (Proverbs 12:8) Emotion enters into so many decisions we make every day, making those decisions less than reliable on many more occasions that we'd like to admit. Sensible people don't rely upon emotion, no matter what. They run their decisions through a much more reliable source. Would that be experience? Sometimes experience is not always reproducible, so relying upon experience alone is not sufficient. The reliable source we need is God's Word and the affirmation/leading of his Holy Spirit. Relying upon emotion or experience alone often proves unreliable - sometimes hitting the mark and missing by a mile at others. Good sense isn't gained by osmosis, my friends. It comes while sitting at the feet of Jesus. Yes, putting your hand against a hot pot and withdrawing it quickly will form a memory that pots get hot on the stove. Does that memory keep you from getting burned somewhere else down the road? N...

I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. (Psalm 119:60) To make haste to keep God's commands requires some challenges at times, doesn't it? We find ourselves waffling just a bit on occasion, all because the moment presents so many options that appeal to our senses or emotions. Some call this 'temptation' - it could very well be, but there will always be opportunities to compromise, even just a little bit, that aren't always 'temptations'. They are just choices to move in the right direction, but just a wee bit off the mark God intended for us. Compromise isn't always 'huge'. Most of the time, it is the simplest choices where we compromise just 'a wee bit'. It isn't like we eat the whole box of chocolates!  It might take us a while to develop the type of obedience that 'makes haste', without delay, to obey God's commands. It isn't that we don't want to be obedient - it is that we are still just a little b...

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:21) We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. (Thornton Wilder) A treasure is more than a box of gold bullion or precious jewels. It is anything and everything we come to value in life. It could be material, such as a good working vehicle, or immaterial such as the joy that comes while spending time with someone you care about deeply. Jesus reminds us to examine where our treasures lie - what it is we have come to value, dedicate time, and perhaps even give our all to.  The desires of one's heart tell a great deal about what one has 'laid up' as treasures in this lifetime. It could be the newest and greatest of this luxury item, or it could be that those things matter very little because how another is fed, clothed, or cared for matters more than those 'luxuries'. We place a 'value' on everything around us - it could just...

While most of us have at least heard, some even repeated, while others have memorized the Lord's Prayer, we can always benefit from a little bit of a deeper dive into it from time to time. When the disciples were with Jesus, he actually encountered more than a few 'Pharisees' and 'Sadducees' who were the religious leaders and teachers of the day. In this accounting of one such day, Jesus instructs the disciples to NOT be like these men, but to live humble, honest, and truthfully holy lives, doing more than just putting on a good front for others to see. Then he instructs them - pray like this:  Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13) Acknowledge who is in control of ...

I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions. (Psalm 119:59-61) Pondering involves more than a fleeting thought. It indicates one carefully considers what is happening and the choices before them before they even make a decision to act. Direction is determined by focus. Focus is determined by both the mind and the heart. One or the other of those can lead us astray at times, getting our focus all muddled up. Pondering the direction our choices are about to lead us, and the potential end results of those actions can save us a whole lot of misery. God's plan is for our 'pondering' to drive us to explore his Word. Finding direction there might just keep us from making many unwise choices. Evil comes at us from any direction, so being alert to its encroachment into our lives is quite important. We often don't rec...

I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. (Psalm 119:14-16) If it seems like we have been focusing a lot on the importance of God's Word over the past several weeks, we have! Why? God's Word is both a weapon of defense and offense. If we find we are entering into a battle of any sort, we want both, don't we? We need the wisdom contained therein in order to be able to initiate our attack when the enemy strikes, as well as the resources to protect us from harm during an attack.  Defense is definitely about our protection, but offense sees opportunities as they are set before us, weighs the value of all the moves that can be made, and then acts upon the best one. Without a good offense, the best defense at our disposal is only half-effective. We don't want to be under attack, but when we are, we want to know our walls of defense are strong, ...

Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer. (Proverbs 9:11-12) I frequently speak of the importance of gaining insight into how God works, what he says about each of us, and where it is we can learn about all he wants for each of us. We find the majority of this information within the pages of his Word. When I signed up to work for various employers in my working career, I would look at the salary as only one part of that 'package'. The various benefits of working with that employer mattered significantly. The working environment and the people I would work with also played an important part. The more I knew about where I'd be working, who'd I be working with, what the work entailed, and what the rewards of that work were, the more I knew if the job was for me. The more we get to know God, his people, and his 'benefits', the more we will real...

Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. (Proverbs 9:7-9) If you have ever tried to argue your point with someone who is so 'dug in' on their own opinion on the subject, you know how hard it can be to make any headway with them. They are 'staunch' believers in their viewpoint and refuse to budge. In fact, they sometimes even point out, in a mocking sort of way, that our way is inferior to theirs. To continue in that 'argument' is senseless because the one that needs some sense in the matter is too bullheaded to get any! Correcting mockers (the bullheaded) is senseless. On the other hand, the wise receive instruction, even when it differs from what they might have come to form an opinion about. ...

You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! (Psalm 119:4-5) Living in such a way so as to DELIBERATELY avoid harm or error - that is what God asks of us. It is this 'deliberate' part that we must focus on today. Conscious and intentional actions, done with consistency over the long run will lead to right living that honors God.  Too many times, actions are committed that are kind of impulsive - the exact opposite of deliberate or intentional behavior. We see or hear something, then we react. How many of us have come to realize that 'reacting' to life is seldom the best alternative? According to most psychological studies, deliberate individuals make very 'conscious' decisions that have come from quite a bit of analysis of the facts they are faced with. There are indeed times when we don't have all the facts, but we still need to make right decisions. This is why it is so important to g...

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I see it as the very power of God working for the salvation of everyone who believes it, both Jew and Greek. I see in it God’s plan for imparting righteousness to men, a process begun and continued by their faith. For, as the scripture says: ‘The just shall live by faith’. (Romans 1:16-17) God's plan - let the gospel permeate the hearts and minds of mankind, changing them at the core of their being. How can this happen if we don't open those pages ourselves, taking in the words contained therein? We can find truth for our everyday lives - generational truth that has sustained and encouraged mankind from the beginning of time. We might forget that our salvation is both a finished and a continual process. When we get into his word, we find that truth begins to work within us. Truth isn't meant to be a one-time exposure - it meant to be a lifetime intake. The gospel message is God's plan for imparting righteousness - at the point of our ...

Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark. (Rabindranath Tagore) Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1) Way back when I was in Bible College, I was asked to present a paper on the topic, "What is faith?" Now, less you think I might have received a good grade on that paper, I would like to report I received a great big "C" on that work. Passing, but lacking. What I came to discover as "lacking" in that paper was anything of substance from my own experience. It was 'theologically sound', but it lacked anything that actually described the effects of faith, the resulting change faith brings, or any such 'experiential' component of faith. Faith IS more than just a theological 'thing' that is needed for a man or woman to enter into relationship with God. Faith IS more than a hope of something more - it is the very thing that helps us to walk out thi...

Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.” The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!” So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!” When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to ou...