The Plumbline

God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of his power. He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. Then everyone stops working so they can watch his power. (Job 37:5-7) If you have ever been in the midst of a thunderstorm, you might have just sat and listened as the drops of rain came down and the winds billowed a bit. The patter of the drops on the rooftop aren't all that threatening, but when the huge crack of thunder comes and the sky lights up with lightening, it is another thing. As a wee kid, I'd be outside playing when the winds would start, but they didn't faze me. As soon as I heard that first rumble of thunder, I bolted to the fence line and called to mom. Why? I wanted deliverance from the storm! Within a matter of minutes, mom's arms would be around me and we would be safe inside the protection of the house. The rains came, the winds blew, lightening crisscrossed the sky, and some of the lou...

What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him makes it. (Psalm 18:30) I just returned from a road trip that didn't stretch across the loveliest of landscape, nor did it include the best of roadways. It seems every state has a different way of paving and differing priorities for how they will accomplish the task. Some places had potholes, rough surfaces, and barely visible striping dividing the lanes. Other places had that nice sound-proofing rubber overlay that made driving over those places quite nice. We all travel different types of roads, don't we? Some of us get way too many of those bumpy, under-maintained patches, relishing those moments when there is just a short break from dodging hazards and enjoying the ride. We desire the smooth patches, but we develop a certain sense of alertness when we might have to dodge this hazard or the next! Whenever I travel to the high country, occasionally making my wa...

If you have ever tripped over what seemed like "nothing but air", you have probably felt pretty silly!  If you would have tripped over a known hazard, such as an uneven crack in a sidewalk, a cord in your path, or even your own shoelace, you'd have felt half as silly.  I used to laugh each time I saw the introduction to the Dick Van Dyke show, when he'd enter the living room, run into the ottoman and roll head-over-heals as he connected with it.  The illusion presented was of him not knowing it was there, but the lack of "reality" of ALWAYS landing on his feet each and every time he did this was absolutely unbelievable!  I am sure it took him a little practice to manage this maneuver.  No matter how good our reflexes might be, we cannot escape a "fall" once in a while!  We might escape the fall the first time, or the second, but eventually our senses become dulled to the constant "tripping hazard" and we will eventually "submit...