The Plumbline

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough. (Franklin D. Roosevelt) Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. (Proverbs 11:17 NLT) While pondering all the ups and downs of life right now, grocery prices rising, fuel costs skyrocketing, and tensions building nation against nation, it might be hard to see much 'kindness' coming through at times. A nation built on kindness is one sure to be blessed by God. A people who binds together, seeing the needs of those around them, working hard to meet those needs to the best of their ability - this is what God must desire. Those with a hunger they cannot identify might just be spiritually hungry, looking to others to find what it is they are 'missing' in their lives. Wouldn't it be God's greatest joy to have them find the 'missing' part of their lives by seeing Jesus in us and then desiring that same re...

Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself. (Thomas a Kempis) We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin . And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:6-11 NLT) We were set free - nothing should give us greater hope that our lives are on a new trajectory than hearing those words. Especially when it doesn't seem like much has changed because we are still struggling with lifelong habits. Remember - change isn't always in...

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. (Psalm 23:1-3 NLT) The Lord is my shepherd. What does that statement really mean? It was not uncommon for the youngest boy in the family to be the shepherd in Old Testament times. He leaves home with the sole mission of tending the sheep. He carries little with him - a scrip and a staff, the clothes on his back, and his rod. His existence is quite remote - no one accompanies him, he shepherds alone. Jesus came alone. He didn't bring a legion of angels to protect him and the flock. He merely presented himself - he alone would tend the sheep.  As we think of our lives in terms of the sheep, we need someone to 'tend' to our lives. This psalm is truly a 'declaration' of God's care over his people. The sheep actually 'trusted' the shepherd - knowing he would ...

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. (Joel 2:12-13 NLT) Turn to me now. This is the time. This is the place. There you will find rest. There you will find peace. There you will find hope. When all else around is in disarray and calamity awaits at every turn, there is no other place to turn than to God himself.  Give me your hearts. So many times, we try to give God everything else other than our hearts. We want him to take our sins, but do we want to seek his righteousness as equally as we desire to be free of their shame? We want to have our lives in order, but do we invite disorder by the things we listen to, watch, or pursue with the heart God so desperately wants to inhabit? The one who wants G...

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:6-11) Has the time come? I think many might be asking that question more frequently these days than in previous days. We see 'signs' of thi...

We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:16-21 NLT) If you have ever thought, "Gosh, those Old Testament prophets were so hard to understand. Maybe we don't need to study those books quite as much," then hear me out. As we read in ...

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:26-28 NLT) We frequently hear the verse reminding us that God works all things out for our good. We seldom quote what comes before that verse, overlooking the fact that we will have moments when we are weak, when we don't know how to pray, and when our heart will be hurting so much that we don't even want to pray. The more we 'don't know' what our heart is trying to express, the more we need the Spirit within us to express it for us. The 'good' God will bring forth from experiences where ...

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. (2 Peter 1:5-7 NLT) In view of what? "God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence." (vs.3) We have been given everything (not some things and not the others), but everything we need in order to live godly and upright lives. In view of being given so much (all we will ever need), we are called to respond to God in a positive and 'actionable' manner. Faith is good, but it should lead to moral excellence, increasing knowledge, self-control in increasing me...

Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. (Deuteronomy 7-9 NLT) Obedience comes at a price, but it also carries a huge blessing. No one can say obedience doesn't 'cost' them something. It usually means we lay down something and take up something else in its place. If we think obeying God's decrees is going to be easy-peasy just because we said yes to Jesus, we might want to rethink that one!  Obedience might cost us some of our relationships. What? Yup, it could mean we pull away from some that aren't helping us be built up in the Lord and are actually pulling us away time and time again. Didn't Jesus say we were to love the sinner? Yup, but he never said we needed to allow them to continue to be influential in our lives! Obedience might cost us time and energy. When we follow Jesus closely, we ...

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. (Romans 1:25-26 NLT) They traded the truth about God for a lie. That really paints a bleak picture, doesn't it? Down through the generations, everywhere we go, we would have found those whose hearts remained steadfast in their worship of the one true God. They might even be referred to as a 'remnant' of faithful believers. Even in the face of those who follow more 'popular trends' or 'cultural norms', they remained true to the teachings of scripture and their worship of the King of Kings. They wouldn't be swept along into the cultural norms. If we didn't have their examples and their faithfulness, where would we be today? The 'remnant' has always been the ones to bring a nation back to God. Scripture records account after ...

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. (2 Timothy 1:9-10 NLT) And now... Jesus came, he will come again, in the meantime - we live devoted lives. His grace came in human form, not so we could just be Sunday Christians - so we could live powerful, full, and complete lives both now and into eternity. Our part is to believe, then to follow. His part was to break the bonds of sin, then to continue to endue us with his power. And now... Let's live our new lives - holy lives, fully devoted to him. Not because we deserve his grace, repeatedly requiring renewal and regeneration, but because it is his plan to have us in his family. We may not hav...

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT) Isn't it a joy to be able to comfort someone else in their time of discomfort? When we needed it most, God was right there to comfort us. Now, in turn, it is our time to comfort others with the same measure God has given to us. Troubles souls need to find comfort and what better way to share Jesus than to bring them the comfort he provides? Comfort comes in many forms. Some of us need a warm hug or an arm around the shoulder. Others need a listening ear and a praying heart. Whatever 'form' comfort comes in, the one who needs it so desperately will be grateful for the sensitivity of your heart to be there for them in their time of 'need'.  We should never underestimate the comf...

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT) Know my anxious thoughts. Are you one of the many who actually get a little 'twitterpated' when life gets tough? No, the meaning of that word isn't 'upset', 'in a tizzy', or even anxious. It means that you are 'infatuated' or 'obsessed' with the 'toughness' of the moment. There aren't many of you out there that actually face 'anxious moments' with such enjoyment, but anyone who subjects themselves to those huge rollercoaster rides or those 'spin till you pass out' ones might just thrive on that level of anxiety. The rest of us don't actually face anxious moments with a sense of 'infatuation' with whatever is occurring! The rest of the world faces those anxious moments with a little bit of fear, mistrust, or the initia...

O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. (Isaiah 25:1 NLT) Do you celebrate God in your life? Do you celebrate his goodness as well as his correction? It is an easy thing to celebrate him when he does something spectacular in your life, blessings abounding in every way. It is another thing to celebrate him when he identifies something within you that needs to change, bringing both the conviction and the grace to accomplish that change, isn't it? We might look toward heaven when all is going well, but do we tend to look inward at our failures when things didn't go so well? The more God corrects both the big and little things in our lives, the more we can be assured we are moving in the right direction with him. We should not fear his correction because it is essentially another 'blessing' from his throne! Salvation was a 'one-time' deal. Sanctificat...

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NLT) Is there ever a time or place when God's Word isn't right there? If we commit even a small portion of it to our memory, we carry it with us at all times. I know that I haven't memorized scripture like so many others have, some even doing a verse a week. Yet it is there when I need it - maybe not word for word, but God's Spirit brings it to memory within me. Commit yourself to the study of his Word and you will be amazed how it comes to light exactly when and where you need it most! It is more than the 'study' of his Word that transpires, though. In that commitment to study it, we find our framework for living actually changes. We begin to prioritize things a little differently and o...

Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But you are always the same; you will live forever. (Psalm 102:25-27 NLT) All things will perish, but the God of the Universe will never perish. His is an eternal reign. His is an eternal existence. We know not of his beginning because he has always been. We will never know of his end because he shall always be. We can count on him because he never changes. All things change around us, but we can be assured his grace and love never changes in spite of what changes might occur around us. We can count on his consistency - something lacking in much of what we see around us today. All that exists is here because he grants its existence. That includes you and me! We exist because he created us. The more we recognize we were created to commune with him; the sooner we will allow...

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. (Isaiah 55:6-7 NLT) Those who seek will find. Those who hunger will be fed. Those who hurt will be healed. Those who obey will be blessed. There are a multitude of promises in scripture, all promising hope for a particular spiritual, emotional, or physical need within our lives. The premise for all those promises is a seeking heart. When our heart is set to 'seek mode', our needs are sure to be met! Seeking isn't haphazard, though. We are to 'seek while we can find him'. There may be those who have no desire to find what it is they need the most. I have noticed that I find God in the weirdest places sometimes. I didn't even know I was seeking at that particular moment, but I must have had an open heart ...

But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. (Job 23:10-12 NLT) I have followed his ways and not turned aside. Wouldn't that be the best testimony you could hear when you meet God face-to-face in eternity? To have followed so closely that your ways were consistent, your heart was totally in tune with his, and your desire to know and follow his commands were like 'daily bread' to your soul.  What we fail to read in this passage is the way this is proven. And when he tests me...those are the words we want to skip over, aren't they? We don't like the 'testing' of our faith. We might even resist it a bit. To be honest here, it isn't news to anyone that we resist - testing is hard and we don't mind the easy path. We want to goodness of his ...

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. (Psalm 73:25-26 NLT) Winston Churchill reminded us, "Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it." When contrary winds come into your life, rise or fall, the choice is often made in the perspective you maintain. Maintain a low perspective, only focusing on the negativity you see coming your way, or maintain a much higher one, seeing Christ's encouraging eyes beckoning you forward instead. The choice is pretty clear to me - his strength is available when we keep the right perspective. True it is - health fails and our spirits grow weak. In the midst of weakness, we can find our greatest strength. It seems a little bit of an oxymoron that we can find strength in weakness, but when that exchange of strength happens, we soar. Our strength dwindles, but his strength picks up when we are wil...

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. (2 Timothy 1:7-9 NLT) Plato once said, "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." Light brings what didn't seem to exist into existence. I said "didn't seem to exist" because it was there all the time, we just didn't acknowledge it. Sin remains hidden until light exposes it. Greed, mistrust, and our own human lust is uncovered by light. Even our human limits are uncovered by God's light, are they not? Mankind has come to fear light because they have become comfortable with their darkness. Never be ashamed to bring the light into the darkness of this world, my friends. It may seem a little intimidating to stand before others, allowing your light to shine brightly. It may even seem that you will face more battles when you declare...

But even though a person sins a hundred times and still lives a long time, I know that those who fear God will be better off. The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows. (Ecclesiastes 8:12-13 NLT) Virgil reminds us, "Time passes irrevocably". There is no 'getting back' what has passed. We might want to regain what has been lost, but once time passes it is impossible to regain it once again. This is why we must hunker down and get the most from each day we walk with Jesus. We aren't going to pass this way again! A person might live a long life, but will that life be filled with the blessings and grace of God? To live long, prosper much, and 'get places' in this lifetime might bring some sense of 'fulfillment' to some, but to the one deeply in love with Jesus, the only 'places' they want to explore are those filled with his presence. The more we see the wicked prospering on ...

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. (Corrie Ten Boom) God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12 NLT) The 'trial train' is not one any of us actually purchases a ticket for, is it? We might be 'gifted' a ticket or taken for a ride on it without being fully aware of where it was headed when we boarded it, but we seldom actually step forward and buy the ticket for that train ride! We 'ride' because it is very hard to actually jump off it unscathed! The 'trial train' comes without notice, not really keeping a schedule. It just 'shows up' unannounced and we seem to be 'herded' onto it like cattle going to the slaughterhouse. Weather unwittingly boarding that train, or having made a conscious decision to board, we are o...

Viktor Frankl said, "When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves." Have you ever thought that the more we want life to change around us, it could just be that it needs to change within us first? That thought may frighten some because they think they are on the right path already. We may very well be, but the choice to be on that path is one thing - the choice to do all God asks us to do may not always be what we choose.  When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. (Proverbs 29:18 NLT) We all have probably been in the situation of knowing something we were about to do isn't all that great of a choice, but we make it anyway. Why do we do that? Is it because we believe we know better than God? Is it that we just wanted the satisfaction of doing whatever it is we did? Regardless of the reason, we didn't act or do as we were instructed by God. Even when we don't hear his c...

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT) This may be one of a group of frequently quoted scripture verses, but if we look closely at what God says here, it will be more than just a great 'logo' for a coffee cup! He knows the plans HE has for us. Will they always match up to OUR plans. Nope. Will his timing for those plans be OUR timing? Nope. Will we wish we knew more of the plan before we start doing whatever it is he asks? Yup. They are HIS plans for US. Plain and simple, we cannot outwit his plans, nor can we succeed when we challenge them by taking our own plans more seriously than his. They are plans for good and not disaster. We need to grasp fully what he is telling us right there. He doesn't plan calamity, although it comes into our lives without us ...

If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness. (Proverbs 14:22 NLT) Plans matter, don't they? I always admired individuals who could seemingly go through life without a plan, just spontaneously hopping from one thing to another, with really awesome outcomes. I was not one of those individuals. Once I learned the value of a list, I started making them! Once I learned the joy of checking things off on that list, I worked diligently to get each and every one of those items checked off. It isn't bad to plan - it is the basis of life. The motive behind the plans is what matters.  Are the plans correct for our life? Is the timing right for the completion of those plans? Will the plans add value to our lives? These are but a few of the questions we must consider when 'making plans'. There are likely a few others, such as will those plans hurt or help others, are they within our means, or will they be realiza...

Benjamin Franklin reminds us, "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." To be teachable is one of the greatest traits of a man or woman of God. Without a teachable spirit, one's mind, will, and emotions can run roughshod over one's life. With a teachable spirit, one's talents can be put to use, mind renewed, and wisdom increased. What we learn and how we learn is dependent upon the 'teachability' of our mind, will, and emotions - for without the soul's involvement in learning what the spirit needs to grasp, we often miss the greatest of lessons. Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. (Psalm 25:4-6 NLT) God teaches us life lessons each day, but we have to be open to 'catching hold' of tho...

Barry Bonds reminds us, "Everyone in society should be a role model, not only for their own self-respect, but for respect from others." A role model lives as though everyone sees everything they do. In truth, there is a lot we do 'in private' that others don't see, but the 'parts of us' on display through our words, actions, and emotions is often what others will emulate or follow. We owe it to each other to actually behave in such a manner that will make others behave at their best, as well.  O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. (Psalm 71:5-7 NLT) Our life stands as an example to many - like it or not. The way we behave can actually cause another to desire Christ in their lives. If our faith is ingenuine - mere religious p...

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (Proverbs 17:9 NLT) We are reminded that, "When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future." (Bernard Meltzer) The past is riddled with failures - both ours and those that were committed by others. Some deeply affect us, while others are easily forgotten, hardly even being mentioned in the first place. Deep pain can be felt when there are wounds as a result of those missteps in relationships, but they don't have to be dwelt upon. Instead of dwelling upon them, we need to get them out in the open, let go of the offense, and bind up the wounds with prayer and love. It could be said that forgiveness is so hard because the hurt is so real. I would challenge that with the truth of love being just as real. Hurts happen - healing is likely to happen if we stop 'picking at the scabs' all the time! The moment we choose to not forgive someone, we are choo...

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. (I John 4:11-12 NLT) Full expression of God's love through us. Isn't it amazing that the unseen God can be 'seen' through the actions of love that exist in our lives? God lives in us - those words ought to make us sit up and take notice of our behavior, shouldn't they? If we would stop for just a moment before we acted or responded, considering that he resides in our hearts, we might just respond a bit differently! His love is BROUGHT to full expression in us - when we love one another, we are bringing others into his presence.  And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT) I have heard it said that "if you don't change direction, you may end up where you are headed." (Lao Tzu) The direction one assumes is the direction one will head. It is a mystery to me why some bemoan the outcome they get when they were headed in that direction all the time. It isn't that they didn't take notice of their course. They just didn't seem to change direction when they realized they weren't on the right course! If we were to be honest here, we have all chosen a wrong direction or two in life, not heeding the warnings along the way, depending more on our 'understanding' than seeking God's wisdom. The determination of course was entirely ours. The outcome produced wasn't great. The moments getting from here to there were riddled with issues. Yet we chose to '...

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (Romans 8:35,37 NLT) I have run across individuals who actually believe troubles in their lives mean they have done something wrong or have abandoned their faith. Troubles are part of life. Calamity comes when we least expect it and usually from sources we have absolutely no control over. Danger surrounds us every day, even when we aren't aware of it. These things don't mean we are doing something wrong. It could actually mean we are doing something right! Satan isn't going to be very pleased when we press into our relationship with Jesus. In fact, he will take notice of us drawing closer to God quicker than he will notice those who only warm the pews on Sundays. He isn't threatened by the 'pew warmers' but he is threatened by those who are praying for things in h...