The Plumbline

“Why are you looking for me? Is it because you saw miraculous signs? The truth is, you are looking for me because you ate the bread and were satisfied. But earthly food spoils and ruins. So don’t work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you.” The people asked Jesus, “What does God want us to do?” Jesus answered, “The work God wants you to do is this: to believe in the one he sent.” (John 6:26-29) Some might be impressed with the miracles of Jesus, but others are drawn because of a curiosity that might just stem a bit deeper within their spirit. The miracles are always great, but to expect miracles every single day is unrealistic. Jesus makes things quite practical for these followers - believe in the one who sent me. The concern over earthly things might consume their thoughts, but this is not God's plan for any of us. The ...

Man finds it hard to get what he wants, because he does not want the best; God finds it hard to give, because He would give the best, and man will not take it. (George MacDonald) Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Mankind wants so much and finds only part of what they seek when they seek to fulfill their wants and needs on their own. Mankind seldom wants the 'best', but God has prepared the 'best' for all who will seek his truth. His truth is resident in his Son - his 'best' is Jesus. Our 'best' falls somewhere below God's all of the time, so why do we seek it with all our effort when there is so much more awaiting us when we say 'yes' to Jesus? Perhaps it is because we find it hard to trust completely what God offers - we find it hard to believe God could give exactly what we need. Our own knowledge wil...

Yes, it is God who is working in you. He helps you want to do what pleases him, and he gives you the power to do it. (Philippians 2:14) Like it or not, God is at work. Where? In you and in me. We aren't ever going to escape his work - he began his work in us when we said yes to him, and he will surely continue that work as long as we draw breath. Do we always appreciate or welcome his work within our lives? Not hardly! There are times we are just plain stubborn and don't want to have his 'interference'. We see what he is doing as 'bothersome' - mostly because his work is bringing conviction, and we don't like having our 'wrong choices' pointed out because we are prideful people. The more we resist his 'interference' in our lives, the longer we will deal with issues that only get us into other issues! It is God who actually helps us do what we don't want to do! Have you ever been in a place where you know the very thing you are about to do...

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (James 1:5-8) We are reminded in Proverbs 3:5-7 to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." As we all have varying backgrounds, we likely approach life's challenges in various ways. We might just find ourselves turning to this world's wisdom first, then when it doesn't do what we hoped it would do, we turn to God. As long as we rely upon the wisdom the world offers, we will be limited in our perception of th...

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. (Proverbs 19:20-21) If you are a 'planner' like I am, you probably use a variety of electronic applications and even paper lists to keep track of the 'stuff' you need to get done in order to accomplish those plans. One thing I might not have learned early in my life was the need to ask God for his 'list'. I made all the lists, exclusive of seeking his perspective on the list. If you have ever made a few of those lists only to see that they didn't really pan out all that well, you know how frustrating that can be - so, is it any wonder that I ask God to show me his perspective on my list now? God's purpose will prevail - that is a pretty 'set in stone' kind of statement, isn't it? We go about getting all the 'advice' and 'instruction' we can find, but are we really getting ALL of i...