The Plumbline

"The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it." William James Fools die because they refuse to follow wisdom. They are content to follow their foolish ways, and that will destroy them. But those who listen to me will live in safety and comfort. They will have nothing to fear.” (Proverbs 1:32-33) Are you following wisdom in your life today? The choices you make today frequently determines the path you take tomorrow. It is as though we were paving the way for things unseen, but they aren't always the best that God had planned for us to experience. Foolish decisions today lead to many an unwanted consequence tomorrow. Live within the plans of God and experience the best. Live within the foolishness of our own misguided plans and we will likely experience something short of his goodness. Foolish rush in. The wise listen before they move. In fact, the wise can often be seen not moving when others are, all because that "check" in their s...

“Fools die because they refuse to follow wisdom. They are content to follow their foolish ways, and that will destroy them. But those who listen to me will live in safety and comfort. They will have nothing to fear.” (Proverbs 1:32-33) The old song, "Fools rush in", admits that some can be so blinded by something or someone, all reasonable thought flies out the door. One of the lines in the song actually says, "Though I see the danger there, if there's a chance for me, then I don't care..." It goes without saying that we rush into danger more times than not simply because we failed to exercise wisdom in those moments. How can we get to the place where we 'don't rush in'? We learn to listen to God's voice! God-given wisdom far exceeds human wisdom, but somehow, we think it is okay to just trudge right on into those moments we will come to regret later on. We refuse to listen to his wisdom and find ourselves treading on thin ice. Another line f...

Fools hate to be told they are wrong, so they refuse to ask wise people for advice. Intelligent people want more knowledge, but fools only want more nonsense. (Proverbs 15:12, 14) Before we begin, let me assure you that I was a fool for a long, long time. I hated to be told I was wrong, refusing correction, not believing I could learn anything from the situations at hand. I continued in my folly until one day God asked me if I liked looking and behaving like a fool. As you might imagine, I even argued with God about my 'rightness' and the other guy's 'wrongness'. What a silly thing it is to argue with God! I recall the day when I finally laid that 'folly' and 'false front' before him, only to find I didn't really like the 'real me'. Perhaps that is why I tried to cover the real me up with all that folly! It was even hard for me to believe God could love me as I was, but he never stopped showing me how much he loved the 'real me'. ...

The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. (Proverbs 10:8) How we embrace instruction tells a story that we may not always want to hear. The wise embrace it - maybe not with enthusiasm all the time, but with an integrity of heart that says they want to learn what God teaches, regardless of the cost. The fool will just babble about why it is 'too hard', 'not something he needs', or that there is 'some other answer' he must discover before he 'tries this one'. Oh, I hope none of us are like the fool who babbles on, but rather are like the wise who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen intently. If we want to reject God's teachings, it is our prerogative. In turn, don't be surprised when the same lesson keeps coming around and around, maybe with a different presentation each time, but with the same 'heart intent'. God isn't going to let us just reject the lesson once and then say that is the way it wil...

The   Lord   sees everything you do,  and he watches where you go.  An evil man will be caught in his wicked ways;  the ropes of his sins will tie him up.  He will die because he does not control himself,  and he will be held captive by his foolishness. (Proverbs 5:21-23) If we think we are not being 'observed' in our folly, we might want to reconsider that belief because God misses nothing. The moment I said that some of us cringed, thinking about something we said, thought, or did in the past 24-48 hours, having hoped God didn't know about it. We all have those moments - wishing we hadn't acted the way we did, but knowing we somehow received grace and healing even after 'acting badly'. God's grace amazes me each and every time. We don't deserve it, but somehow it is right there for those of who call upon his name for it - not once, but each and every time. Evil men are indeed 'roped' by their sins - binding them to the guilt and shame of it. Th...

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes. Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison. (Proverbs 26:1-6) A fool is merely anyone who lacks judgment or good sense. Now, if we were to be truthful most of us could definitely cop to this plea! We are not consistently wise in our judgment, nor do we always use good sense! A fool is someone who does this habitually - but in everyday life, we all play the fool on occasion. The issue with the fool - they don't embrace wisdom, so they keep using "faulty" judgment over and over again. T here are probably areas in our lives wher...

Life Hack #24: A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker. The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker. (Proverbs 24:8-9) We all have come across the kind of people who just love to sit around, planning some kind of misbehavior, waiting for the moment to spring it on someone. Most of the time, it is in jest, but that is not always the case. A troublemaker is anyone who causes difficulties, distress, or worries - kind of out of habit and with a desire to bring injury, harm, or suffering to another. This individual makes a habit of making life miserable for others. Not the kind of people we want to associate with on a regular basis! They are the "instigators" - wherever trouble seems to be brewing, you can pretty much be assured they had something to do with it! Avoid these individuals as much as possible - because the end they desire differs from the end God desires for your life! The troublemaker has a heart bent on evil.  The differenc...

"What were you thinking?", I said. Then I realized I wasn't thinking! It is necessary to set my understanding straight on occasion, or you allow the 'inner fool' to go on thinking that thinking was "spot on". What happens when we don't respond to the foolishness? We allow a plethora of other stuff to continue on as though it did not matter. The inner fool looks for validation - when it doesn't find resistance to its actions, it takes this as validation. It is difficult to stop, take the effort and extreme amount of patience to speak with the fool around you, but sometimes it is harder to speak to the one within you! Yet, it is the very best course of action to prevent a flood of ill-effects from that 'inner' folly. Answer a fool in simple terms so he doesn’t get a swelled head. (Proverbs 26:5) We use simple terms to speak to the simpleton. No fool (even our inner fool) is responsive to some lengthy theological argument - the simplici...

A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never makes that mistake again. But a wise man finds a smart man and learns from him how to avoid the mistake altogether. (Roy H. Williams) Are you the 'smart man' or the 'wise man'? I cop to being a 'smart' person most of the time, and a 'wise' person some of the time. At times, I forget there are things I don't have to 'experience' in order to 'learn' from them - through the lives of others that have experienced them. I don't have to take a safari in the African wilderness to enjoy the many things others have experienced while they did because they have photos, movies, and great stories to tell. No, I did not experience it first-hand, but I can learn much from the experience of those who did. Maybe one of the most important things we can learn from the wise man is that of learning to control our tongues - not speaking everything we think! A person who talks sense is honored; airhe...

  Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other.  Act  on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. (James 1:22-24) I have been fooled by a good many things in this lifetime and there are still other things just waiting to dupe me at some point down the road, even my own folly. Since coming to Christ, I'd have to admit my own folly doesn't quite dupe me as it did once upon a time. In fact, even considering something kind of foolish now causes me a moment or two of pause and reflection. I have learned to consider my course - choose my steps a little better than I did in my youth. It certainly didn't come easily, though. Our folly has a loud and continually beckoning voice! It wants one way and that is its own way. Attempt to shut that voice down and you might just ...

Okay, so how many of you would say your parents raised intelligent children? How about your own kiddos - would you consider them to be intelligent children? Ask most parents that question and you would get an immediate response of a little bit taller posture, a grin appearing on their faces, and a quick "I think we did a pretty great job with them" might come forth. Ask a group of parents with wayward kiddos and you might just get a sulking glance and a little less positivity in their response. Intelligent children are not 'smart' in terms of book-learning, although that might help them get places in this world, but wise in terms of knowing when and how to be obedient to the right set of values or morals. I imagine there were times when my parents looked upon my actions and saw a child acting pretty foolishly - off doing her own thing, oblivious to the 'rules' by which I was to have made my choices. Yet, there were other times I know they looked upon my choice...

Answer fools when they speak foolishly,  or they will think they are really wise. (Proverbs 26:5) One can always be wise in their own eyes - because the fool often fails to see what is right in front of their own eyes. The wise person spends time reading the situation to know whether to answer or not - taking just that little bit of time before answering often keeps us out of silly quarrels or needless minutes lost listening to the rantings of a fool! How do you answer a fool? It isn't that they don't deserve an answer, but maybe the way we answer them is more important than we think. The moment we stop to consider our answer - pondering the potential intent of the fool's words - we might just uncover something that will expose the foolish thoughts and intents of the heart that otherwise wouldn't ever be exposed! To not counteract the words of the fool is to be foolish yourself. Why? The fool will go on spreading the foolishness just as he sees it - as he interpre...

9  Wisdom has built her house; she has made it strong with seven columns.   2  She has cooked meat, mixed wine, and put food on the table.   3  She has sent her servant girls to announce from the highest hill in the city,   4  “Whoever needs instruction, come.” She invites all the simple people and says,   5  “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have prepared.   6  Leave your old, foolish ways and live! Advance along the path of understanding.”  (Proverbs 9:1-6 ERV) For just a moment, imagine this huge house with the biggest dining area you have ever seen. The table is all set with lots and lots of fruits, cheeses, and fresh baked crusty breads. The room is filled with the luscious odors of finely seasoned meats roasting on a bed of hot coals, savory roots and nourishing veggies mixed with rich butter, and the sweetness of baked desserts oozing with goodness. The servants all stand at the ready to launch into service, b...

Do not answer (nor pretend to agree with the frivolous comments of) a (closed-minded) fool according to his folly, o therwise you, even you, will be like him.   Answer (and correct the erroneous concepts of) a fool according to his folly,  otherwise he will be wise in his own eyes (if he thinks you agree with him). (Proverbs 26:4-5 AMP) This passage seemed a little contradictory this morning. The first part of the passage tells us NOT to answer a fool, while the second part tells us we DO answer a fool. Confusing, huh? So, how is it we are to respond to foolish people, with their foolish plans and supposed "wisdom of the ages" as they put it? There are indeed times when we probably just need to keep silent, for our silence is enough to counteract their foolishness!  There are other times when it is both wise and necessary to answer their foolishness - so that others aren't manipulated by their foolish plans or pulled into senseless beliefs themselves. Learning how to ...

It takes wisdom for the clever to understand the path they are on, but the fool is deceived by his own  foolish ness.  (Proverbs 14:8 VOICE) Albert Einstein once said, "Before God we are equally wise - and equally foolish."  How true!  We might think pretty highly of ourselves on occasion, but in God's eyes the foolishness of our ways is never hidden!  Sometimes the wisest action we can take is to admit we are wrong - a hard action to take, but much benefit await those willing to stop what they are doing long enough to evaluate if is the right thing!   Wisdom isn't something learned at the feet of a wise guru in some remote part of the world - it is that which is learned by sitting at the feet of Jesus.  We often search for wisdom in the silliest of places, all the while missing the fact that wisdom is no further away than the cry of our heart, the sound of our voice, or the beating of our heart.  Where Jesus is, there is wisdom. it is so e...

I have been in situations where I say something so foolish, then stand there waiting for someone else to say something - what am I waiting for?  I want them to say something so that I don't look as foolish!  My hope is that my foolishness will be covered up by something they say.  How would that work? There is this principle of answering a fool - when you do, you look foolish yourself!  It is quite true - think about it.  The last time you were around someone who really said something downright foolish and kind of dumb, did you just jump in with some type of argument to the contrary or something equally as foolish?  How'd it make YOU look at that moment?  Their jumping in really took the light off of you and put it on them.  They now look even more foolish than you did.  You might think you can "answer" a fool, but in truth, whenever you do you are setting yourself up to look even more foolish.  No amount of argument, "wisdom"...

There is much to the belief which holds to the idea of surrounding yourself with the right people bringing you success in life.  When we choose our "circle" well, we find ourselves being influenced to move in directions which increase our "value" in some way.  Choose the wrong "circle" and we might not realize quite the same increase in "value".  Now, lest you think I believe your acquaintances actually are where you find your unique value in life, this is not what I am saying.  In fact, there is but one place we find our unique value and that is when we look fully into the face of Jesus.  It is in what we see reflected back as we fully explore the depth of his gaze that we find our supreme and unique value. Yet, our relations here on earth can either build us up, or tear us down. Those which build us up have a way of adding "value" by our association; those which tear us down actually take away "value" by our association.  T...

There is a saying in today's culture which goes something like, "You cannot fix stupid".  In other words, sometimes it is just beyond your control - you don't have the influence, the wherewithal, or the know-how to stop whatever "dumb stuff" is happening.  When this is said as an insult, someone is implying you are beyond learning.  There were times when my kids were growing up where I almost thought this principle applied.  I'd watch them do exactly what I had taught them repeatedly not to do and then see them suffer the consequences of their actions.  Now, lest you think I am some kind of terrible mom, I never knowingly let them do something which would hurt themselves, but I did let them struggle on occasion because it was this very struggle which helped them to realize there was some wisdom in what I had taught.  They had to "learn" from their missteps - or they would keep repeating them.  We cannot expect others to just accept at "fa...

To scorn wisdom is to cut short your days.  How many of us really want to cut our days short?  Most of us actually hope we will find some way to add another hour to the day, day to the week, or years to our lives!  We just don’t have the time to get everything done we hoped to accomplish.  We can become so distracted by the things which promise us gain, influence, status, or value in life that we miss the true things that will.  The promise of God is that he will not let the godly starve - it doesn't say if the godly work themselves to the bone, tire themselves out in the efforts they exert, etc.  It simply says God won't starve the honest soul.  He even will satisfy the cravings of our soul - the fulfillment of those cravings may be with something quite different than we'd pursue on our own.  Left to our own devices, we'd likely pursue the stuff which falls "just short" of what God intends for us. They are "good", but they aren't "great...