The Plumbline

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:12-14 MSG) As you begin your day today, consider this: God sets the course, we take steps along that course, and at some point, we will reach the finish line, if we don't give up. Will we finish well, though? Or will we just barely make it over that finish line, panting, bedraggled, and wasted? The more we 'train' for the race, the better we will be able to run. The more we allow our 'coach' to help us develop our 'skills' to endure the race, the less likely we are to peter out after even a short run! Are you well on your way? If you have started well, but somewhere along the way yo...

Galileo told us to measure what is measurable. Then we were to make measurable everything else that wasn't measurable to begin with. If we were to measure our 'spiritual progress' as it related to our goals for this year, how well are we doing? The Old Testament prophet Amos told us, "Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. Hate evil and love what is good; turn your courts into true halls of justice. Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will have mercy on the remnant of his people." (Amos 5:14-15 NLT) How well are you doing with 'running from evil' these days? In other words, how well are you at turning your back to temptation, speaking up against evil around you, and intervening when God tells you it is time for you to take action? These are indeed things we can 'measure', and they are also things we can make 'measurable' that m...

The Lord is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever. (Psalm 93:1,5 NLT) As the new year brings many to consider their goals for the upcoming days, it might be that some look back, seeing a few defeats, goals not achieved in the past year. Did you accomplish all you set out to conquer, overcome, or make habitual in your life last year? I sure didn't! The weight still went up and down like a yoyo. The cupboards and closets may have been gone through more than once, but did they stay tidy? Nope...decluttering still needs to be done. One thing to keep in mind if you are feeling a little 'down' over not accomplishing all you set before you in the last year is that God hasn't changed from one year to the next. His laws don't change - his Word remains sure forever. Since we have such an unchangeab...

Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself to have “arrived”, spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. But I keep going on, grasping ever more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal—my reward the honor of being called by God in Christ. (Philippians 3:14) It probably comes as no surprise to some of us that goals get set and then somewhere down the line, they get 'unset' or 'unrecognized'. Some will have been too lofty or unrealistic, so we set smaller ones. Others will simply have been reliant upon someone else to do their part and since they didn't, we had to abandon them. Either way, the goals didn't end in the results we had hoped for. What do we do when what we had planned doesn't work out as we expected it to in the end? We migh...

 Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed. (Cavett Robert) You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say. I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people. (Psalm 17:3-4) Determination is good - without it, we might just wander this earth without a care in the world, but with very little to show for all the wandering in the end. Character is forged in the times we might not 'want' to do something, but 'choose' to do it anyway. Obedience is nine-tenths determination and one-tenth action. We must overcome the desire to just 'lollygag' through life and focus on what God desires for us. When our focus is determined, our actions are more likely to be less 'idle' or 'aimless'! We anticipate the new year with some hope things will be different as we ...

 "Give light and the darkness will disappear of itself." (Desiderius Erasmus) You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained. Your faith has a goal, and you are reaching that goal—your salvation. (I Peter 1:8-9) We have not seen Christ, yet we trust his coming was genuine, his undeserved grace beyond wonderful, and the hope he gives of a future spent with him throughout eternity magnificent. He walked among believers many, many years ago, and he still 'walks among us' through the power of his Spirit within us. Our faith does indeed have a goal - our ultimate salvation - eternity in his holy presence. Without goals, we kind of drift, more or less just choosing whatever feels like it might be good for the moment. Scripture puts it this way, "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the teaching." (Proverbs 19...

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it. (Philippians 3:12-16) Dewey reminds us, "Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another." A life lived without goals, a target in mind, is kind of like being set adrift on the open sea - hoping for the best, but totally unprepared for the worst! When I have large projects in mind, I usually write out a 'pick list' of sorts - telling m...

Good guidance comes sometimes through the quietest voices.  If you have ever listened to the loudest voice, you might just have realized the loudest is not always the clearest!  It just got your attention!  As we have been studying our way through the Book of Proverbs over the past couple of days, we have discovered there is good advice which awaits those with hearing ears and a responsive heart - but it is not always the loudest voice we hear!  The instructions of a father's heart are of value to us in making us ready for what life sends our way.  We are reminded - follow them and you will live; learn from them, and you may not have to experience everything for yourself; love the, for wise words will guide us when times of trial come our way.   Dear friend, take my advice;   it will add years to your life.   I’m writing out clear directions to Wisdom Way,   I’m drawing a map to Righteous Road.   I don’t want you ending up in blind all...

18  Form your purpose by asking for counsel,    then carry it out using all the help you can get. (Proverbs 20:18) As the New Year dawns and all good people begin to share their "resolutions", I am reluctant to believe many of them as I have seen the results of "resolutions" in the past.  Most of us start out well, fizzle by February, and bemoan our ill-fated plans by March!  What happens?  We don't have well thought out plans that are truly "actionable" and "realistic".  If there was one thing that was drilled into me over and over again in nursing school it was that our goals for our patients needed to be actionable and realistic.  In other words, we needed to be able to show how we planned to accomplish the care for our patient, each step outlined in detail, until the goal could be realized.  Why was this so important?  Simply put - a plan that was outlined with detail gave us guidance in establishing the best course of action...