The Plumbline

Jonah said to the men, “I know I did wrong—that is why the storm came on the sea. So throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm.” Instead, the men tried to row the ship back to the shore, but they couldn’t do it. The wind and the waves of the sea were too strong—and they were becoming stronger and stronger. (Jonah 1:12-13) If you are anything like me, you have probably tried any number of ways to figure out a solution that seemed quite a bit harder than you'd like it to be, all the while having been given the 'right answer', but choosing to ignore it in pursuit of 'any other solution'. The issue with 'any other solution' is that it rarely proves to be 'easier' or 'the best'. When we are told clearly what we need to do and ignore it in pursuit of anything else, we can be sure the work we are putting into the 'solution' will fall short of fixing the issue. The seas were rocking the boat, it was taking on water from the rough se

God’s love is meteoric, his loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, his verdicts oceanic. Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks. (Psalm 36:5-6) Meteoric - brilliant, appearing suddenly and without warning, swiftly revealed. That is an amazing way to describe God's love toward his kids. The brilliance of his love enlightens any soul - bringing light into places where light may not have dwelt for quite some time. It appears swiftly - sometimes without our noticing it has come, but somehow enveloping us in the warmth and brilliance of it. God's love doesn't come with a 'warning' that he is about to 'love you'. A man might get down on one knee to propose - a sign that his love for a woman is greater than anything else he has felt before and his heart delights in just her. God's love isn't quite as 'momentary' - it comes when we need it most, sometimes in ways we least expect it, and always with