The Plumbline

Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time. (Ecclesiastes 7:3-4) A wise person thinks - those words popped out at me as I read through this passage today. A fool thinks, too. He may not think well, but he thinks! Focus does determine outcome in so many ways, does it not? We can ponder something so much, allowing it to consume our minds over and over again, until it actually forms the course that we take in life. If we ponder the better things, our course is more certain and brings meaning into our lives. If we ponder things unwise for us to pursue, our course may just be a little bumpier than we had hoped. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. Ponder that one for just a few moments today. Sorrow actually 'refines' something within us. Whenever I have encountered something that brought sorrow into my life, it did caus...

To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increases his riches, increases his cares; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble finds it not. (Akhenaton) I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere. (Ecclesiastes 2:1, 10-11) Solomon begins by giving us a litany of 'things' he had tried in order to find 'happiness' or 'meaning' in life. Wine, good times, massive treasures, huge homes, grand parkways, herds and flocks - nothing measured up. All was 'so meaningless' and did not fulfill his dreams or wishes. It was like chasing the wind. The greatest 'pleasure' in life is not found...

We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.  (C.S. Lewis) God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. (Isaiah 57:14-15) Rebuild the road. We 'rebuild' by clearing away the rocks and stones. Whatever clutters our way, left as hindrances in our path, rubble from wrong decisions - all must go. The need for repentance merely means we have chosen the wrong road, progress has been difficult, if not impossible, and now we see there is a need to turn around from the path we had taken. Sin always leaves debris in it...

For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) (Romans 8:19-25) Last days? Closer than we think? Jesus followers w...

Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness. (Billie Graham) If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13) Sometimes we complicate this "Jesus walk" so much by what we attempt to 'do' in order to 'work our way to God'. Paul wrote to the early church (and the message remains true to this day) that we can have 'misdirected zeal', well-intentioned steps to 'make our life measure up'. The problem is that we never get to the point of ...

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention. (John Burroughs) Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. (Romans 6:12-14) Do not let - those three words probably go unnoticed, but they carry such a significant meaning. So many times, we excuse sin in our lives because we say we 'could not help it' or that it 'just took me by surprise'. The moment of temptation is not unnoticed - it is undenied! We LET sin have its way - we give it access. The way we choose to live today will influence how we live tomorrow. The more we LET things into our thoughts...

If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge. (Proverbs 19:27) Plato told us that human behavior had one of three sources: desire, emotion, or knowledge. The desires of one's heart stem from a whole lot of different influences including things we have been taught, some biological factors, and more than a little bit of emotional influence. Emotion carries us much more than we'd like to admit, making us choose things that otherwise we might not just because it felt right at the moment. Knowledge is probably the easiest influence to "control" when it comes to behavior. The things we learn over the course of our lives aren't the primary influence over our behavior, but it can be a very powerful influence, nonetheless. If we learn that a hot surface is hot when touched, leading to a very unpleasant burn on our skin, we are less likely to touch that hot surface again down the road. Yet, we touch hot surfaces throughout our lifetim...

Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. (Deuteronomy 13:4) I have heard it said that only God's ever-present presence can truly change a person's life. All other change is fleeting. As much as we'd like to think we are capable of changing our course all on our own, the struggle against will and emotion can be daunting. When we choose rather to serve God and him alone, we might find there is still a little struggle with our own desires, but the 'will' to choose a correct course isn't all within our own strength. We tap into the supernatural strength of Jesus within. Over the years, I have used many of these clear plastic wraps for supposedly keeping things in the fridge from spilling or spoiling. Some are rather poor quality, saying they will 'hold tight', but falling short. Others are very good at holding the contents in, gripping firmly to the bowl and preserving the food inside. "...

If you have ever made excuses for your sin, you are not alone. We get angry, then blame the behavior of someone else as our 'reason' for the outburst. We engage in gossip, then excuse it as a 'reason' to pray for someone. We overindulge on snack foods, then blame the lack of self-control on stress as the 'reason' for that silliness. Been there, done that, bought the shirt, and wore it out! Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. (James 1:14-18) Temptation comes from OUR OWN desires. They are not a resu...

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. (Ephesians 1:18-19) Hearts flooded with light don't allow things to be hidden in dark places any longer, do they? In fact, they relish the freedom light brings. If you have ever tried to pick your way along in a dark place, trying hard to make out outlines of things that might be in your way, you know the perils of 'things hidden from view', don't you? The light gives us a certain freedom of movement - we don't have to be concerned with running into hidden objects any longer. In much the same way, God's light gives us an emotional and spiritual freedom that allows us to move unhindered by darkness. The light brings with it a certain peace that doesn't exists when darkness en...

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10) Plant a seed of faith, grow a life of good things. Plant a seed of doubt, grow a life of worry and heartache. The truth about sowing and reaping has been around forever. You cannot grow an apple tree from a mustard seed any more than you can grow a life of intimacy with God with seeds of worldly advice. If we want to see one harvest over another, we plant specific seeds. As Paul points out, you cannot live to satisfy your own sinful nature and e...

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6) Seek - a simple word, with such significance. In most instances, when a person seeks, they want to find something. There is a hope they will discover what it is they are looking for. At other times, the activity of seeking actually takes an individual away from where they are and what they are doing to move them into a totally different place. When we seek Jesus, we do both! S - see the futility of looking in all the old places, doing all the old things, expecting different results. Too frequently, we "seek" the answers to life's challenges in ways we have rehearsed time and time again. There will be times when one who seeks Jesus first in their lives has to learn new ways of 'doing life' than might have previously been pursued. E - expect God to move in your life when you seek him with your whole heart. There is a change about to come in our lives when we open up to his movement...

Why would someone need rescue? It could be they found them caught unaware of the danger they were in, such as when a flash flood comes unexpectedly. It might also be that they were at the wrong place at the wrong time, caught up in some event they likely would never have chosen for themselves. It might even be they chose the place, the time, and the event, knowing very well there was a danger associated with that decision. It doesn't really matter how or why the rescue is required, danger exists, and distress is imminent if not already occurring. The deeper the distress, the louder our calls for deliverance are! The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in him. (Psalm 37:39-40) This passage gives me hope that even the godly can be caught up in places or events that require his rescue. It should give us all hope that we won't always make the wisest of ch...

It was Winston Churchill that reminded us that he was always ready to learn, but he didn't always like being taught. I guess we may all be a little like that at times - ready to learn, but not always in the best frame of mind to be taught. The godly offer good counsel because they have been both ready to learn and they have an earnest desire to be taught at the feet of Jesus. The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. They have made God’s law their own, so they will never slip from his path. (Psalm 37:30-31) Right from wrong is not something we just 'glean' by watching others. People can have their own definition of both, and as much as they vary by individual, the outcomes produced by following those examples can be disastrous! Jesus said we had one reliable example - HIM. (John 13:15) We are to follow in his example - rely upon his wisdom, listen to his truth, understand his plan. Proverbs 3 reminds us that when we commit our ways to him, leaning into ...

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. (Proverbs 29:25) Some of us find circumstances so harsh at times that we actually fear they will be out undoing, but not so much because of the circumstance itself.  The people involved give us a bit more anxiety than the circumstance. We find ourselves thinking more about THEIR opinion of how we will handle the moment rather than God's opinion of us as we go through it. The fear of people is a really big deal. Scripture advises: "Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28) The people who we fear cannot touch our soul because God has that carefully under his attentive care! Throughout scripture we can find examples of people who feared people, but with God's help, they overcame that fear and trusted in his strength to get them through. Moses didn't want to confront Pharoah, but God...

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. (Psalm 37:23-24) I want all of us to take heart this morning, for scripture doesn't say "if" we stumble, but rather "when" we stumble. It is kind of inevitable that we will face temptation and not always come out the other side unscathed. We 'give into it' at times, don't we? We know better than to say what we were thinking, but we blurt it out, leaving a wake of hurt feelings. We know better than to pursue that relationship, but we don't think it will hurt us all that much, so we plunge right on in. We know we'd feel better without all that sugar and fat in our diet, but oh how good it tastes, so we give in. Though they stumble - - - they will never fall. But, you say, I did 'fall' - I gave in, did what I shouldn't have done. Yup, but you didn't fall from grace...

Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever. They will not be disgraced in hard times; even in famine they will have more than enough. (Psalm 37:18-19) The Lord's care isn't to be taken for granted. Day by day, moment by moment, he is right there with all we need. We might forget just how 'privileged' we are as children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but we should never take that blessing for granted. Hard times will come - we can be assured of that as history has a tendency to repeat itself, just in a kind of new facade. Whatever we face, he is there. We need not worry nor fret. According to "This vs That", fretting is a milder form of worry, carrying just a little 'lighter' emotional investment. (https://thisvsthat.io/fret-vs-worry) When we feel a little uneasiness about a situation, that is what some refer to as fretting (or sweating the small stuff). When that emotion gets us h...

“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.” (John 3:20-21) A crisis is defined as a time of intense difficulty or trial. It could also be a time of intense danger. Some would refer to that time as a catastrophe, disaster, or even a dilemma or quandary. God's children have nothing to worry about when those things 'creep in' or attempt to 'overtake' them, though. Why? They have the light to show them the way through or around it! Those without this light will be troubled or fearful of those things. They will run from them, attempting to find some way of ...

The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can’t receive the gifts of God’s Spirit. There’s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God’s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing, and can’t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah’s question, “Is there anyone around who knows God’s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?” has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ’s Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:14) There is no capacity for our 'unsaved' man to take in, accept, or use the gifts of God's Spirit. By 'unsaved' I mean the part of us designed for God's Spirit to dwell but is empty because we have not said 'YES' to Jesus. Once we invite Jesus to enter into our lives, forgiving us of our sins, and giving us new life in him, we are open to receiving his Spirit. With his Spirit comes all manner of 'open communion' with God...

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (Matthew 6:33) Relax, stop being so preoccupied with stuff - that is pretty solid wisdom, Jesus! Relax, give him control, stop trying to always work things out yourself - that is more than just good 'advice' - it is wisdom for peaceful living! When we get so preoccupied with all the 'doing' and 'getting' life demands of us, we have little to know time for Jesus in our days. The most important part of our day i...

If we give up and turn our backs on all we’ve learned, all we’ve been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ’s sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me. (Hebrews 10:30-31) If we give up, turning our backs on God's grace, do we think we will just sail on by? The answer is quite clear from our passage - our judgment isn't going to be 'aw, I understand, you just needed a break from Jesus'. It is going to be 'you rejected me, divine judgment won't be pretty for ...

We actually need to be 'guided out of sin', don't we? It is as though we need absolutely NO instruction in how to sin, but try to stop that sin that has become a habitual thing in our lives, and we need some help! The more we 'try' to live without that sin's influence or pull in our lives, the more it keeps coming back. The thing we need most is God's help - a guided departure from one way of living and entrance into a new way. Here’s how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: Keep his commandments. If someone claims, “I know him well!” but doesn’t keep his commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. This is the only way to be sure we’re in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. (I John 2:3-6) Keeping his commandments seems like a rather general instruction, does it not? A life that ma...

Lewis Carroll reminded us: "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." While we don't always have a 'mapped out' version of life each day, it is always good to be attentive to the direction God would have us take. Obedience in the daily stuff is probably more important than obedience when God asks you to take 'big steps'. The 'ordinary' everyday stuff is hard enough, but when we apply ourselves to 'learning' and 'doing as we learn', we will likely be more ready for the 'big steps'! Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights. (Proverbs 18:15) Carroll used to quip that he had already believed as many as six impossible things before he even sat down to breakfast. I cannot agree, for a life with God helps us to imagine the impossible, prepare for it, and then set out to do it! What is your 'impossible' today? Is there more than one? Could it be that the s...

Billy Graham left us with this thought: "When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost." So many people put more trust in what they have amassed on this earth than they do on what will be their fate in the afterlife. Wealth can be lost in the blink of an eye, but with enough tenacity and hard work, one can 'make back' some of this physical wealth. Health might rob us of our dignity, strength, and even our humor, but it never fully robs us of what we have stored up in the way of memories. Character, on the other hand, carries a heavy loss. Families, friends, fame, and sometimes even faith can be crushed when someone falls into 'ill-repute'. There are no high walls of safety in this world until we enter into the walls of our Savior's arms! 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 h...

Do to others as you would like them to do to you. If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! (Luke 6:31-33) Even sinners do that much... If you haven't ever focused on that portion of this passage, I encourage you to pause for a moment to consider what Jesus was really saying here. Even those without God in their hearts, those whose lives are still steeped in sinful actions and motivations, have figured out how to treat some people in their lives kindly, while perhaps not treating others with the same degree of kindness. Have you ever considered those in your life that you perhaps don't treat as well as some others? Why do you treat them differently? Is it their lifestyle? Their life choices? Their 'sinfulness'? If Jesus had looked upon all of us, seeing any of us even one bit differently than the...

I came across this quote today, and I wanted to share it with you. Let it sink in: "Fake news and rumors thrive online because few verify what's real and always bias towards content that reinforces their own biases." (Ryan Higa) As scripture points out, "Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart." (Proverbs 18:8) Have you ever noticed how we are drawn to rumors that 'fit our biases' in life? We listen with intensity to those words, even spreading them at times, all because we are drawn to their 'intent' or perhaps even their 'ambiguity'. But...are they real? Do we check them out? Or do we get 'drawn in' by the words? I did a little research online, asking why we humans circulate so many half-true, or utterly false statements. Here are just a few things I observed in my research: - Where a lack of clear information abounds, we make things up that 'fit' whatever it is we believe to be the truth. That may n...

When the wicked man comes [to the depth of evil], contempt [of all that is pure and good] also comes, and with inner baseness (dishonor) comes outer shame (scorn). (Proverbs 18:3 Amplified Bible) Doing wrong always used to lead to some form of disgrace in society, did it not? What we might have labeled as 'wrong' fifty years ago may actually be labeled as 'okay' or 'right' today, though. Our societal norms change over time - one generation's indulgences or sins giving way to the next generation's. The fact remains - there is only ONE definition of right or wrong - the Bible! Try as we might to change the truths contained within those pages, they are unchangeable. When the wicked brings what scripture defines as 'evil' or 'vile' into practice, there is no 'mislabeling' of it as anything other than sin.  "Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt." (NLT) This same verse becomes quite easy to un...

Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. (Ephesians 4:29) According to the need and the occasion. That could be key in this entire passage to understand how our words have an impact. When the need exists, speak the truth God gives. When the occasion is correct, the ears AND the heart may just be prepared to receive what is said.  Unwholesome speech abounds, does it not? We might just be the 'breath of fresh air' someone needs today. Our words may soothe the hurting heart, but they could just as easily inflame the emotions and lead to many a divisive explosion! We must choose them wisely, using those words in the correct timing, and always be cognizant of how they will be heard. Heaven knows, my words have wounded on occasion. They have encouraged on others. If we want to ...

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:8-10) Whether we know it or not, there is a bunch of 'empty babble' being thrown around each and every day - even in the church. Empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense are everywhere. We have to apply 'filters' in order to weed through what is being portrayed as truth and 'worthwhile' reports in order to really find God's truth in the matter, don't we? Without those 'filters' given to us in the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, we'd get duped into believing everything we heard. The Bereans were a group of Jews who listened to the message Paul bro...

Nothing reflects so much honor on a workman as a trial of his work and its endurance of it. So it is with God. It honors Him when His saints preserve their integrity. (Charles Spurgeon) For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. (Philippians 2:13-15) Living with integrity is what pleases God and we can only accomplish this through the power of his Spirit that lives within us. Have you ever been criticized for being 'too good' or 'too respectable' in your actions? Don't stop living that way! It is a thing that definitely honors God! In the midst of trials, our endurance is put to the test. If we are truthful, none of us really enjoys the trial as much as we appreciate the 'thing within us' that keeps us strong, fait...

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13) Socrates said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." I came into this world 'knowing nothing', but in the course of 'experiencing life' I have gained a bit of wisdom (at least I hope I have). We learn through experience, but do we always have to 'experience' to learn? God's ways are 'understood' in different ways than human understanding really can define. We don't always need to 'experience' something to learn from it. We can observe others 'experiencing' the event, realizing that we either want to avoid that event entirely, or engage ourselves in it all the more. When it comes to really seeing someone in love with Jesus, doing what he asks them to do without hesitation, and living within the peace that passes all understanding, we might just find ours...