The Plumbline

"A man should always consider how much he has more than he wants." (Joseph Addison)  “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs." (Matthew 5:3) How much do you 'have' compared to what you 'need'? For many of us, our need appears greater than what we have, but in truth, we have been given so much - we just don't always remember how great those blessings are. As Addison reminds us, it is our duty to consider (reflect upon) our many blessings instead of always focusing so intently on our wants. The more we recognize our need for God's grace, the less we focus on all the petty 'wants' we have in life. The closer we press into a relationship with Jesus, the less we find ourselves pining after things that don't matter all that much. God blesses those who recognize their need for him - with his entire Kingdom. If that doesn't make you feel a little bit special today, think about it

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them." (Matthew 7:12) A lot of times we make things so complicated in terms of defining 'good behavior'. I think God put it out there quite plainly - figure out what you would want others to do for you - then turn the tables and do it for THEM. Grab the initiative - this means we have to pay attention, be on top of our game, be looking for ways to be a blessing. Too many times we miss the moments when we could have made a difference if we'd have just 'grabbed the initiative'.  Initiative is all about 'taking charge' - it is the 'setting in motion' of one action that may just lead to another. Don't take the initiative unless you are committed for the long haul - there may be more actions God will ask of you and you must be willing to step forward with the next action, not just the first one. If there is

Although the mass hysteria to purchase truckloads of toilet paper has died down, there is still a significant shortage of the stuff we need on the grocer's shelves. The truckloads of goods come and go, but there still doesn't seem to be a restock of all that once existed on the shelves. I have observed more and more posts telling us how to 'make yeast' from various household items because it is scarce in the markets. We see posts proclaiming new ways to create hand sanitizer from aloe and isoprophyl alcohol; kitchen wipes using a half roll of paper towels submerged in a small amount of bleach and water solution; or even the re-emergence of the use of hydrogen peroxide to sanitize items. As the saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." Some are more than 'well-stocked', having amassed a great deal of resources for their 'quarantined existence', while others are still frequenting the stores at the earliest time possible in hopes of obt

Sometimes it is hard looking at our friends, seeing them move into gorgeous new homes, driving swanky new cars, or jetting off to far away places on vacation after vacation. We get a little envious at times, don't we? We'd like a new home - ours is good, but it doesn't have all the features their new ones offers. We wish our cars ran as smoothly with less visits to the mechanic shop, but they still get us places we need to be. We have desires to explore islands afar, but a simple tent in the woods is all our budget will allow at present. Yet, when we stop to think on this just a little, we might just remember how truly blessed we are in this life - all because of the extravagant generosity of God! Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him s

God's presence - my words - his attention - answers given. Isn't that how each of us would like things to work each and every time we need his answer to something we are dealing with? God's personal attention in our lives is the hope of each believer. I have never had a personal trainer at a gym (although I could use one), or a personal financial adviser, but I imagine those who enjoy the influence of these individuals in their lives see real benefit to their advice. But...all they offer is advice - we still choose what to do with the advice we receive. When we come to God, he gives more than advice! He gives answers! I cannot imagine a better personal trainer than the Holy Spirit! I cannot fathom better advice than what we find in the Word of God! I doubt there is anyone's attention more devoted to each of us than God's! Let my cry come right into your presence, God; provide me with the insight that comes only from your Word. Give my request your personal attentio

I am so glad for a simple last name! To pronounce some of your last names is kind of hard, isn't it? The names in the Bible can be even harder! Add to the family names all the names of the regions in the lands referenced within those pages and you get some pretty good tongue twisters! Sometimes we skip over those parts in the Bible because reading all the names is hard and rather than face the challenge, we just move on. Ever wonder what you have missed out on just because you found something a little too difficult? Or you settled for something else that seemed a little easier or more appealing? Yep, the things we 'settle for' can be quite satisfying, but will they ever be as satisfying as the things we have to work just a little harder to obtain? Of the land that we possessed at that time, I gave the Reubenites and the Gadites the territory north of Aroer along the Brook Arnon and half the hill country of Gilead with its towns.  I gave the half-tribe of Manasseh the rest

It hardly seems a day goes by anymore without some tragedy being reported on the evening news of a man or woman bent on harming others by some means of gunfire or violent outburst. The news is filled with these stories of a world in chaos. Maybe not all of the news is 'human caused' events, as even nature seems to be joining in the chaos with volcano eruptions, massive wildfires, and consuming floods. Do we daily lift our leaders before the Lord, asking him to give them wisdom in their decisions? I know that I am not one of those that "regularly" prays for our country's leadership - I almost have to be reminded of the issues, then I remember to pray! Do we daily lift those who have to face hardship after hardship, finding ways to bring them some relief if at all possible? Do we casually say, "I'll pray for you," all the while knowing we will forget about the need just about as soon as that individual is out of our line of sight? 2 When the country is

Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless— that's your job, to bless . You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, here's what you do: say nothing evil or hurtful; snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; but he turns his back on those who do evil things. (I Peter 3:8-12) Herein we find a very long list of character traits that we are to exhibit as the children of God - some of them a little bit hard for us to actually 'implement' in our lives, but which we are not given any lee-way. Living in such a manner actually encourages God's blessing in our lives - and it appears that it actually opens up a lot of blessing into the lives of others,

If you listen obediently to the Voice of GOD, you God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, GOD, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of GOD, your God: GOD’s blessing inside the city, GOD’s blessing in the country; GOD’s blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks. GOD’s blessing on your basket and bread bowl; GOD’s blessing in your coming in, GOD’s blessing in your going out. GOD will defeat your enemies who attack you. They’ll come at you on one road and run away on seven roads. GOD will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; he’ll bless you in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you. GOD will form you as a people holy to him, just as he promised you, if you keep the commandments of GOD, your God, and live the way

When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. ( Ephesians 4:29   ERV ) Notice our passage today doesn't say "if you talk", or "should you be so inclined as to say something". It says "when" - because we all have moments when our "talk" escapes us kind of unnoticed by our brains! We get those words out there and then think, "Did I just say that out loud?" By then, it is too late! The words that escape our brain's filter often hit a target we never intended to actually hit! The things people need to hear versus the stuff that comes out of our mouths sometimes can be vastly different. The things we each need to hear are the things that help us grow stronger as individuals and ultimately as a community. When these are the words spoken, we become an immovable force the enemy of our souls cannot de

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. (Melody Beattie) What or who is it you find yourself complaining the most about? Chances are that thing or person is never going to be viewed as a blessing in your life until you change your way of seeing them just a little! I used to complain about not having a car when I was first married with young kids at home. If I wanted to go some place, I walked, rode the bike, or hitched a ride from a friend. Many a grocery trip was comprised of one child in the child carrier on my bike and another peddling alongside, with a backpack of groceries on my back. Then one day quite unexpectedly I was blessed with a car - as a gift! My in-laws bought a new one and no longer needed that little VW Rabbit. I was overjoyed to receive such a blessing. That is...until it be

God’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn: when you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes, when you avoid sin’s highway, when judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse. For you, the Eternal’s Word is your happiness. It is your focus—from dusk to dawn. ( Psalm 1:1-2 VOICE ) We don't have to fear the next turn in the bend, although we don't know what awaits us, we can be assured of this - God will bring blessing out of every circumstance we face. It may not seem that way as we are rounding that bend into what seems to be a tumultuous ride, but God's plan is to bring blessing even out of what is the hardest and most demanding of life's moments. God's blessings follow us - they are like the wake of a boat moving through the water - impacting those around us and leaving their lives just a little bit more blessed by having been touched by him. It isn't that we avoid the calamity, but that we refuse to be overcome by it - no

Oscar Wilde penned, "Experience is simply the names we give our mistakes."  So very true! We probably invented the great word "experience" to simply explain the many "mistakes" we made getting to where we are today!  We humans have a way of trying to make things appear as they are not - if we didn't the make-up and tummy tuck industry would be out of business!  Truth is sometimes not the most flattering - nor is it the most palatable. Albert Einstein told us that the only source of knowledge was through experience - you had to have gone through the experience to know if the knowledge was trustworthy. I like what Eleanor Roosevelt said, "People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built."  Those who stand in awe of the Eternal—who follow wherever He leads, committed in their hearts—experience His blessings! God will use your hard work to provide you food.  You will prosper in your labo

" Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others ?'" (Martin Luther King, Jr) It is far easier for us to complain about what another has not done for us than it is to admit we may have done very little for them! It isn't that all of life is give and take - you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. It is us giving without restraint - regardless of the return we might receive on that "investment" of service. Jesus never said we were to look for a reward in our actions as much as he said we should perform the actions "worthy" of reward. Think of the kindness you wish others would show you; do the same for them. (Luke 6:31 VOICE) Too many times we focus on what others need to be doing for us - what we believe we deserve becomes dominant in our lives.  It is a strange thing for us to think outside of ourselves at times - because after all, we were born thinking about self first above all. It seems the &

Each of us must strive to please our neighbors, pursuing their welfare so they will become strong.  (Romans 15:2 VOICE) I heard my pastor remind us about contentment yesterday, but what spoke to me kind of loudly was a little reminder he heard from a fellow pastor friend.  You see, that pastor's church was struggling with the constant envy of their neighbors.  When the neighbors got a new car, they wanted one.  They had "house envy" and even "TV envy".  What the pastor said one day to his congregation was awesome.  He proclaimed that he had heard so much complaining about the neighbors being blessed with this or that by his fellow congregants.  His reminder to them was profound - when you see your neighbor being blessed, just rejoice because it means God is in your neighborhood!  Let that one bounce around in your head a few times, will you?  Your neighbors blessing shouldn't be a cause of envy, but of rejoicing.   I wonder what kind of a neighborhoo

If you have ever tried to be on both sides of the fence at one time, you know it is not very comfortable straddling the fence!  You really cannot be on one side today, another tomorrow, then back again the next day without it taking some type of toll on either your emotions or your spirit.  Yet, this is exactly what some of us try to do in our relationship with Christ - we want to be as close to the old way of living as possible, but we want all the benefits of serving Christ.  We think it won't matter to walk so close to the edge of compromise, but it doesn't take much for us to stumble and fall right into temptation when we do. If any of you want to walk My path, you’re going to have to deny yourself. You’ll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued,  healed, made whole and full .  (Luke 9:23-24 VOICE) For most of

As with each "campaign season", the airways begin to fill up with men and women spouting all manner of campaign promises, hoping those hearing their words will somehow "trust them" to bring about whatever it is they are promising should they win the election.  It is hard to nail jello to a wall, though.  Some of the stuff I hear asked and the way they answer the questions is kind of like nailing jello to a wall. They indicate they have a brilliant idea about how to fix this problem or that, but in very general terms - there isn't a whole lot of substance to what they share.  I have found the best way to pick a candidate for office isn't so much in how educated they are, or even how sophisticated their answers might be, but to listen between the words to see if I can actually hear their heart.  It is often revealed in what they say, as much as in what they don't say!  The same is true in our own lives - sometimes what we say is not as important as what w

I know I am probably not alone when I share with you the "bent" I have in life to continually "think ahead".  It is sometimes a bit of a "curse" to not be able to shut off your thoughts, to constantly be trying to find ways for something to be "better".  It as though your mind is almost always set to "on" and there is very little time in your life when you let it go to "off". Sure, you have a "dimmer switch" of sorts, which allows you to "shut down" a little, but you might even find yourself waking from a sound sleep thinking through something which stumped you a little bit earlier in the day.  Some say this tendency is kind of "genius", but I am far from "genius" in my IQ.  I just have a mind which likes to be challenged, works hard at what gets put in it, and then looks for new ways to challenge myself.  When I am the one always trying to figure out the "puzzle" in front of

There is a reward which comes from doing something because you know it is right and you know there just isn't anyone who needs to know what you have done.  It is a deep-down sense of satisfaction with doing "right" or "good" without having to "account" for your actions to anyone other than yourself. The fact is - God sees those actions and he takes note of them, even when others don't see them.  In the practice of the religious zealots of the day when Jesus was delivering this sermon, there was this custom of making a "big deal" of doing the "right thing".  The gifts were brought to the temple and a "show" was made of the significant "offering" someone gave who was "very religious".  Their actions on behalf of the widow or the poor were done in a noticeable fashion, so as others might be able to see them and give them praise for having "taken such favorable actions".  As Jesus put it, the

We all want blessings in this life, don't we?  After all, we work hard, do our best to raise our families in the right way, are loyal and devoted friends - so why is it wrong to think there might be a little blessing waiting for us? I think we all think blessings are equated with our "doing" rather than our "being".  I like what our pastor says, "Humans are beings, not doings".  Chew on that one a bit and you will see the wisdom in those words.  We get so focused on the "doing" of life, we forget the original intent is for us to "be".  "Beings" are content in "being" what God has created them to "be".  It gives a sense of great satisfaction and ultimate blessing to those who learn to walk not in the "doing" of life, but in the "being" of life.  Doing follows being - when our "being" is connected to Christ as it should be, our "doing" will follow in obedient and r