The Plumbline

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. (James 1:21 NLT) How do we rid ourselves of the 'filth and evil' in our lives? If we want to really allow God to begin this work within us, we begin to take in his Word on a regular basis - not just as reading material, but with time to really 'digest it' and allow him to speak to us through what we are reading. The 'planting' of his Word isn't a 'top sowing' - it is a purposeful sowing of the seeds of change in prepared soil. The time we take to allow our hearts to be prepared to receive his Word - like time in praise and worship - the more we will find the soil of our hearts is prepared to receive those 'seeds' he plants. The seed that is planted is the only seed that grows - maturity takes tending. We aren't going to 'ingest' his Word in huge chunks and think that it will impac...

Have you ever thought of God as "giving you breathing room"?  I never really thought of it this way, but our devotional times are kind of "breathing room".  The time we take to settle ourselves long enough to reflect on God's word and then to begin to allow it to impact us is also providing us with some "breathing room" from the hub-bub of everyday life.   3-5  You've always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all, a lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest.  You've always taken me seriously, God, made me welcome among those who know and love you. (Psalm 61:3-5 The Message) For some time in my life, I looked as my devotional times as "required".  It was taught to me as a "baby Christian" - take time each day to get "quiet" with God.  In those moments, I was to pray, read the Word, and if possible, get something out of the time!  Allegedly - as was reported to me as a...