The Plumbline

I know, God, that mere mortals can’t run their own lives, that men and women don’t have what it takes to take charge of life. So correct us, God, as you see best. (Jeremiah 10:23-24) Have you ever found yourself in a position where you required a substitute for what is wrong or inaccurate in your life? Correction is needed, but maybe it is not so much because we are completely wrong, but there is some "inaccuracy" in our lives which gets us going in the wrong direction. It is kind of like only seeing half of a room in front of us one way, then turning around to see the room we thought was filled with beauty also contained a few smelly corpses. Correction puts things in the right framework - gives us the right perspective when what we have been pursuing is just a little inaccurate. It also gives us a swift kick in the seat when what we have been pursuing is totally and completely wrong! If you have ever taken your hands of the wheel in your car to see if your car will ...

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...

We've talked frequently about not only making right decisions, but what it takes from us when we make wrong ones. We don't always DO right, but we want to think we are right nonetheless. With God, he IS right, therefore he DOES right. With us, we aren't always connecting our new stand in Christ with the actions that should come as a result of our new 'connection' with the one who actually IS right. There is no decision he makes that is NOT on target. Don't you wish you could say the same about yourself? How many times have you bought a certain outfit (on the best sale of the year), determined that the "price" was what mattered, not that it even looked all that great on you, or that you actually needed to squeeze another outfit into your closet? Sometimes of 'doing' gets a little out of alignment with out 'being', doesn't it?  You are right and you do right, God; your decisions are right on target. You rightly instruct us in h...

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...