The Plumbline

Do you ever feel 'ashamed' about your understanding of the Word of God? There are indeed times when someone will come out with some 'deep' insight into what God has said, then we simply sit there in a state of 'awe' because we had never seen that truth before in that particular passage. We shouldn't ever feel 'ashamed' that we didn't see the truth like they did - we should revel in the fact God surrounds us with people who can see things we might have missed and that they are willing to share them with us! It is one of the means God uses to actually help us learn his truths. Lord, you gave us your instructions and told us to always obey them. How I wish I could be more faithful in obeying your laws! Then I would never feel ashamed when I look closely at your commands. The more I understand how fair your laws are, the more sincerely I will praise you. (Psalm 119:4-7) God gave us his instructions, not so they could sit on a shelf or in a bookca

The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don’t speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth , and it travels around the world. In the heavens a tent is set up for the sun. It rises like a bridegroom and gets ready like a hero eager to run a race. It travels all the way across the sky. Nothing hides from its heat. (Psalm 19:1-6) We might be amazed with each sunrise, sunset, and the phases of the moon! Why? They are simply doing what they were designed to do - to keep telling the wonders of God and declaring boldly what he has done! They declare his creative power and his ability to sustain all things with nothing more than the sound of his voice! This should give us cause to pause for just a few moments to consider his greatness and to bask in his brilliance! When we think of the sun and the moon, we are to

So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere . “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs !” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. (2 Kings 6:14-17) More on our side than on theirs. Those words should echo within our brains, resound within our hearts, and bolster our spirit. Why? God doesn't ever leave his kids to stand on their own - he goes before, prepares us for what it is we will face, and stands with us as we do. Troops, horses, and chariots everywhere? That describes a pretty intimidating force, does it not? Yet God is the

I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (Isaiah 46:3-4) We all have those moments when we are just incapable of holding up any longer - we need someone to care for us because we have given all we can manage, needing God's help to make it any further. This is not a bad thing to realize - we all need him to carry us through. We might struggle through out of sheer bullheadedness, but if you have tried that one, you know just how overwhelming the experience really is. If you look into my life, you will find that I have done things under my own willpower and self-effort on occasion, but things never ended up being as good as they could have been if I would have just let God help me with it. Who better to care for us than the one who actually made us? He knows how we will approach the issue a