The Plumbline

“You threw me into the sea. Your powerful waves splashed over me. I went down, down into the deep sea. The water was all around me. Then I thought, ‘Now I must go where you cannot see me,’ but I continued looking to your holy Temple for help." (Jonah 2:3-4) We all are subject to those 'weak moments' when darkness is about to consume us, having made unwise choices. In the darkest places, it never ceases to amaze me that we 'call out'. We may not even know what we are calling out for, or who it is we are calling out to, but we 'call out'. Why? We need help! We feel shame over our actions. We aren't doing 'well' emotionally, spiritually, or physically and we need help. Does it come as any surprise that in the darkest of places Jonah is still looking to God for help? It shouldn't because we serve a God of redemption! I was at the bottom of the sea, the place where the mountains begin. I thought I was locked in this prison forever, but the...

There are times when all we need is a little nudge in the right direction - then we are off and running at full speed.  It is the lack of that "little nudge" which can keep us cemented to our chairs, too.  We are definitely creatures who want "confirmation" of direction before we set out.  There is nothing wrong with this, but there are just times when God expects us to act in obedience, even when we don't feel a "little nudge" to do so!  Over the past couple of weeks, we have explored passages which point to us listening intently, using our common sense to help us in our decision-making, and hearing God's voice in a myriad of ways. There is no "secret" voice of God - he doesn't speak to just a select few - he speaks to all of us.  We just have to learn to recognize when it is we need to wait for his "voice" to become clear to us and when it is we can count on what we already know to be true in our lives to guide us.  Learn...

In the dumps:  A gloomy, melancholy state of mind; depression.   Do you ever find yourself “in the dumps”?  We refer to this almost as a “place” rather than a frame of reference referring to our attitude.  Yet, the origin of this phrase clearly points to a sense of deep melancholy.  There are a ton of synonyms:  down low, blue, sad, unhappy, low-spirited, discouraged, fed up, moody, pessimistic, glum, dejected, despondent, dispirited, downcast, morose, crestfallen, and downhearted.  Whew!  What a list!  If you really look at all of them, where do these words “focus” us?  Don’t they focus “us” on “us”?  When we say we are “unhappy”, isn’t it really us interpreting something in life as “making us” feel less than good about a situation?  When we say we are “discouraged”, aren’t we saying like we don’t feel like doing anything more to see the outcome change?  The fact is, being “in the dumps” is really something which WE have ...

Ever hit bottom and find yourself recognizing the depth of the pit all while life continues to demand more and more of you?  I think all of us have experienced being overwhelmed in some "pit" at one time or another.  The impact of the "pit" is determined by the perception we maintain IN the pit.  We can continue to look down - seeing only the darkness of the lowest point.  We can look outward - seeing only the closeness of the walls surrounding us, seemingly holding us in a position of bondage.  Or...we can look up, taking notice of the glimmer of light breaking in the distance, and take hope!   5  Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?   Why are you crying the blues?      Fix my eyes on God—soon I'll be praising again.  He puts a smile on my face.  He's my God. (Psalm 43:5 The Message) David penned these words a long time ago, but they have awesome value for us today.  In the midst of th...

 I'm feeling terrible—I couldn't feel worse!   Get me on my feet again. You promised, remember?   When I told my story, you responded;  train me well in your deep wisdom.   Help me understand these things inside and out        so I can ponder your miracle-wonders.  (Psalm 119:25-27 The Message) I was watching a game show the other night with mom.  The introductions of the contestants included the regular demographics - where do you live, where do you work, what are your hobbies?  I have to say that I cringe each and every time I hear someone say, "I am an author.  I write self-help books."  I am so amazed that anyone could actually figure out how to help "self"!  In my own experience, I have observed that my "self" is pretty doggone unreliable and no amount of me helping "me" really "sticks"!!! David opens this section with the cold, hard truth that he is miserable!  Have yo...

11  Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues?    Fix my eyes on God—soon I'll be praising again.    He puts a smile on my face.  He's my God. (Psalm 42:11) There are a variety of psalms written by David that carry almost the same theme of desperation - intense desire to see God intervene in his life, some tragedy making his life almost unbearable, some sin keeping him out of fellowship with his creator.  This one has some "meat" to it that I'd like to explore this morning. David is lamenting over his circumstances - over his downtrodden disposition.  In other words, he is pretty well down-in-the-mouth - depressed beyond measure.  He is mourning over something or someone - the impression is that he has lost out on something in his life and he is in a deep, deep depression as a result. He begins with the idea of being thirsty.  He desires to drink God in afresh.  Have you ever been...