The Plumbline

Scripture frequently reminds us no king, governor, or ruler of any sorts succeeds by his own doing. Big armies and lots of loyal servants or citizens in your territory does not make a ruler successful - indeed, it gives an "appearance" of success, but it is nothing compared to the glory of being anointed and blessed by the Most High God. Armies are full of warriors. There is an extreme futility in thinking a warrior's strength is his own - that he doesn't need good leaders and others to fight alongside him. The warrior has a tendency see his "strength" as something he possesses - instead, it is something he is "granted" as God prepares him and goes with him into the battle. It is silly to believe having more "horsepower" or "brute strength" will win battles. When we "count on" the wrong stuff, we often don't really "win" the battles at all! Watch this: God's eye is on those who respect him, the o...

Neither too much, nor too little - how many of us can actually say we kind of operate by the "Goldilocks Principle"?  We don't want too hard of a bed, nor too soft - it has to be just right.  We don't want too much food, nor too small of portions to satisfy - we want them to be just right.  We don't want too much hardship, but neither do we expect to live totally without any - it just cannot be too overwhelming to deal with.  I think we all kind of live by this principle as we want to live by the standards which "suit" us the best. The only problem with this is our inability to really decide on what "suits" us best. We have a "warped" idea of what is "best" for us - because we base what is "best" on what brings us the most comfort, suits our present needs, or just plain doesn't cost us very much to obtain.  Not always the best way to make decisions, if I may say so myself! And then he prayed, “God, I’m asking...