The Plumbline

My soul gave up all hope, but then I remembered the Lord. I prayed to you, and you heard my prayers in your holy Temple. “Some people worship useless idols, but those statues never help them. I will give sacrifices to you, and I will praise and thank you. I will make special promises to you, and I will do what I promise.” Salvation only comes from the Lord! (Jonah 2:7-9) We might think there is no hope in our current situation, but God isn't afraid of the darkness, nor is he one to abandon his children. He gives us all the 'space' we require in order to come to the end of our 'selfishness' and 'rebellion', but he doesn't leave us there forever. When we call upon him, he hears - because he has never left us! Jonah realized the God he served wasn't just some useless idol, but the One True God. His covenant with those whom he loves is forever. Most importantly, he realizes salvation comes no other way. Salvation is more than the deliverance from the pen...

“You threw me into the sea. Your powerful waves splashed over me. I went down, down into the deep sea. The water was all around me. Then I thought, ‘Now I must go where you cannot see me,’ but I continued looking to your holy Temple for help." (Jonah 2:3-4) We all are subject to those 'weak moments' when darkness is about to consume us, having made unwise choices. In the darkest places, it never ceases to amaze me that we 'call out'. We may not even know what we are calling out for, or who it is we are calling out to, but we 'call out'. Why? We need help! We feel shame over our actions. We aren't doing 'well' emotionally, spiritually, or physically and we need help. Does it come as any surprise that in the darkest of places Jonah is still looking to God for help? It shouldn't because we serve a God of redemption! I was at the bottom of the sea, the place where the mountains begin. I thought I was locked in this prison forever, but the...

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans8:26-28) Lauren Daigle sings a song I just love - not because of the beauty of her voice - even though she has a great voice. I love it because of the love of her heart - the love she has for her Lord! The song? It is "Love Like This". Indulge me this morning as I share those words with you - allow them to minister to your heart as much as they minister to mine: When I am a wasteland You are the water. When I am the winter You are the fire that burns. When I am a long night You are the sunrise. When I a...