The Plumbline

Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice. Fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas. (Proverbs 18:1-2) Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. (Charles Spurgeon) The right use of knowledge - have you given that idea much thought in your lifetime? I have possessed some knowledge on occasion, never really sharing it, holding onto that knowledge because I never felt it an appropriate time to share it. We probably all have done that, but to really consider if there is a 'right use' for the knowledge we have been given is always an act of wisdom. Not all knowledge is something to be 'broadcast' or 'touted'. Sometimes it is meant to be held close to the heart, prayed over, and then release...

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. (I Peter 1:10-12) If the prophets could have known and experienced what we now know and experience in Christ Jesus, would there have been any stopping them? They longed to know more about his coming and what he would accomplish by it. They desired to see the fulfillment of all of God's promises - in the person of Jesus Christ. What the Old Testament prophets wanted to learn and experience we alrea...

No one can oppose you, because you have the power to do what you want. You asked why I talk so much when I know so little. I have talked about things that are far beyond my understanding. You told me to listen and answer your questions. I heard about you from others; now I have seen you with my own eyes. (Job 42:1-5 CEV) There are always going to be things in life we have "heard about", but have never seen. If we are to be perfectly honest here, we have heard about a whole lot that we don't understand, but we just accept it as fact. If we take everything at face value which we see or hear, we will sometimes form some pretty wrong opinions of others, jump to conclusions about the issues, or get ourselves buying into something that will just rob us of things we hold dear. We often jump to conclusions based on what we hear, but never take the thing we hear about and put it to the test. In turn, we just "react" to the thing we hear and then we might find we are ...

God has placed a premium on the responses we undertake. One of those 'premium' responses is listening. To those who listen, he speaks into their lives and helps them to grasp knowledge. Those who are too intent on just handling things without the instructions he brings, they hear, but they don't listen. Another 'premium' response God values is that of integrity - being truthful about what we don't know and then seeking to gain that knowledge is one way of revealing integrity in our lives. I often do crosswords, but there are times when the hints given just don't even make sense to me! It always amazes me when I see the answer key and see such a simple answer I never even considered. If I just plunged ahead, saying I understood the hints even though I clearly did not, it would not end up with the letters I need for completing the rest of the puzzle - the integrity of the puzzle is damaged. God doesn't place a premium on "faking it" or "just...

It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.  (Thomas Sowell) Since we are God’s children, you must not think that God is like something that people imagine or make from gold, silver, or rock. In the past, people did not understand God, and he ignored this. But now, God tells all people in the world to change their hearts and lives. (Acts 17:29-30) God may let us get away with some things for a while, just because we really don't know any better. Let him begin to unfold the Word of God and his principles on how to live upright lives for a bit and he begins to ask for some change. Why? We are no longer ignorant - we know what is expected. Sometimes it does take quite a bit of knowledge to show us just how ignorant we have become - not because we are 'dumb', but because we have been influenced to ignore those things for so long. For a long time, God's people may go along, living as they want, then the day comes when they realize what t...

T. S. Eliot posed a very thought-provoking question I would like for us to consider this morning: "Where is all the knowledge we lost with information?" It seems like we get more and more information, so much so that we could honestly declare we are on 'information overload', but where is the true 'knowledge' that was supposed to come with that information? Eliot's full quote is: " Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? " Information overload is the difficulty we each have making a decision about how to proceed when we have too much information. We can demand more information, but it won't make the subject any clearer to us. Sometimes we have just enough information to make a wise decision, but that wisdom seems to fly out the window the more information we receive on a matter! If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He will g...

Truth be told, many of us are more concerned with a list of lessons we have amassed during the time we refer to a "living" life. What we need to be doing is asking God directly for lessons that would help us "live" life. Sometimes I think we approach things the first way - making mental note of what we learned FROM the moments we just finished living rather than making heart notes of what lessons God wants for us IN those moments. We get focused on it from a 'historical' perspective more than we are focused on it in the 'present' perspective. We might just be missing out on some of what God has for us in the 'living'. God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—my whole life one long, obedient response. (Psalm 119:33-34) Most people know that I am a planner, so I value the "notes" and "plans" - the agendas, outlines, and even the doodled notes all help me to ...

Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. (Psalm 119:66) Here we find the very personal invitation to "learn of God". Jesus was calling his disciples in the early part of his earthly ministry - a calling they'd never really understand until after he was taken from this earth. John was curious about where it was that Jesus stayed - where did he lay his head at night, how did he make a living, who was this guy really. He asked Jesus where he lived and Jesus' response was to "come and see". This is perhaps the most rewarding invitation anyone can receive - come and see. It implies the ability to come into a fuller revelation of all that we are curious about. To come is an action on our part, but to truly see as we need to see - well, that is all on him! In the spiritual sense, there is a great deal that causes us to be curious, if even just a little bit - figuring out how the whole Trinity thing works, understanding the mystery of ju...

Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure my careful instructions. Do what I say and you'll live well. My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it! Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it on the chambers of your heart. Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight as your companion. They'll be with you to fend off the Temptress—that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress. (Proverbs 7:1-5 MSG) Scripture speaks of Wisdom and Insight as a person - the person of Jesus Christ. God's primary purpose in telling us of the 'person' of Wisdom and Insight is for us to get to know Jesus' character a little better. The character of a person is what we sometimes call the 'real person'. A person's character is more than their personality - it is made up of their code of moral conduct and even their consistency in being honest or true in their actions. Keeping the commandments of God has great reward - a reward of developing the character tra...

This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between what is important and what is not and choose what is important; that you will be pure and blameless for the coming of Christ... ( Philippians 1:9-10   ERV ) What is important and what is not - - - isn't this the question of the ages? The answer to that question can actually differ from person to person, based upon the situation, people involved, and even the phases of the moon! "Important" to my 9 year old grandson is much different than what is "important" to my 13 year old grandson. One may want to sequester himself away deep inside a book while the other wants to be making the stinkiest bait he can concoct in order to catch those elusive catfish in the pond! To me both of these are "important" for the tasks at hand are as unique as the children who are pursuing them. When God l...

6  Anyone who makes fun of wisdom will never find it, but knowledge comes easily to those who understand its value.   (Proverbs 14:6 ERV) Socrates reminds us the only true wisdom is in knowing that you know absolutely nothing! On occasion, my BFF will ask me a silly question that goes something like, "Is there anything you cannot do?" I usually just glare at her or answer there are a lot of things I don't know and have never tried. Some will never be known by me, nor tried, for they are not in the plans God has for me in this lifetime. There will always be things we cannot know or do in this lifetime, but we can count on this - the things we need for today are readily at our disposal simply by asking God for them! The knowledge we need for today's decisions is at our disposal - we often just don't go to the right source. I have several websites I consult when I want to figure out something challenging with a spreadsheet function or formula at work. The prob...

If you have the Son, you have eternal life. If you do not have the Son of God, you are not acquainted with  true  life.  (I John 5:12 VOICE) As John wraps up his letter to the believers in the New Testament church of the first century, he is attempting to confront a belief system known as gnosticism.  In general, the belief perpetrated by the gnostics of the day valued the gaining of knowledge in ever-increasing way because knowledge broadened one's understanding and they believed a broader understanding would help you "transcend" evil. I don't know about you, but I have discovered just knowing truth doesn't mean I actually act upon it all the time!  I can have all the knowledge in the world, but until my heart is changed, which affects the choices I make, I will still continue to do dumb things!  As John puts it, no life comes to us by just gaining more knowledge - we need to gain Jesus, the Son of God, in order to really know life. Most of us would a...

There are times we think if we just have the intelligence and good judgment to make pretty solid decisions, we will do well in this life.  That works some of the time, but not with great consistency.  I have pumped the right type of gas in my car from the station on the side of the road which made it easiest to get in and out of with the least amount of cross-traffic, only to find a station on the opposite side of the road just a little further down the road offered me the same gas at a much more reasonable price!  I made the right choice of gas.  I even made the right decision of what provided me with the greatest of safety when it comes to the traffic issue.  Yet, I didn't make the wisest decision about cost - I factored in everything else, but forgot the cost.  We cannot ever forget there is a cost to each decision we make.  We need more than just intelligence and good judgment to help us out there.  Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge - aren...

Wisdom has a couple of companions "in residence" with him - Good Judgment, Knowledge, and Planning.  All three make the best "roommates" for Wisdom.  If we want to have a "full house", we want all of these "in residence" within!  Get Good Judgment, Knowledge, Planning and Wisdom inside of you and you will find you make decisions a little differently - these "residents" create a culture quite different from what might be the "norm" in your life right now. I am Wisdom. I live with Good Judgment. I am at home with Knowledge and Planning. (Proverbs 8:12 ERV) Wisdom is not a thing, he is a person - Christ Jesus.  All wisdom comes from God because God is the embodiment of wisdom.  Wisdom is the applied knowledge we amass over the years - to have both in residence in your life suggests you are in a position of learning on a continual basis - not just to amass knowledge, but to figure out how it applies to the daily decision...

Honey in scripture often is used to describe all that is sweet and pleasing - both in the natural and spiritual sense.  Therefore, when scripture declares we should eat honey, it is saying we should pursue those things which will bring delight and satisfaction to our spiritual man.  There are definitely some things which are better to pursue than others - especially as it applies to being "built up", encouraged, or finding peace.  These are the things God wants us to become "acquainted" with in our daily "intake".  It is important to note that honey in the Old Testament region of Palestine was not harvested from bee farms, but rather had to be dug out of crevices in the rocks and the hollow of trees.  As such, we receive a word picture of having to "mine" the bountiful goodness God has prepared for us.  It requires some effort on our part, but it well worth the investment! Eat honey, dear child—it’s good for you— and delicacies that melt in ...

Can you remember the last time you enjoyed some "delicacy"?  For some, this might be a lobster tail with some fresh vegetables, or it may be something such as the lusciousness of a creamy cheese cake cascading with fresh berries of the season.  Still others might be drawn to those delicacies of a kind we might refer to as a little exotic such as caviar, or escargot.  The last two I have never experienced, so if you find these as luscious delicacies, please don't judge me, but there is nothing really all that appealing to me in eating the eggs of a fish or the slimy little creatures I would rather play with in the garden!  Technically, a delicacy is anything which is extremely pleasing or delightful.  So, there are probably a long list of things we can label as "delicacies" for some, but not so much for others.  God refers to two "delicacies" for the soul which are to be pursued and enjoyed:  Knowledge and Wisdom.  According to our instructions to...

As with most of the proverbs, contrast is the tool by which life responses are evaluated.  Pride enters, destruction is close on its heels.  Haughtiness results in a fall; humility results in an increase in one's life.  Pride or haughtiness are set out as "wrong" paths for a Christian's life.  Wisdom and insight are presented as better than all the wealth we could accumulate. Trust in God and listening to wise instruction outweighs doing things our own way. God commends the wise, because they have come to the place of doing more than appreciating good teaching - they embrace it, putting it into application and then seeing the results of its application born out in the reputation they form.  Two paths may lead to the same destination - but only one is right. Contrasts are set forth in order to get us to evaluate our choices.   Get wisdom—it’s worth more than money;   choose insight over income every time.   The road of right living bypasses evil;...

If you have ever had something begin to grow in your garden and then wondered what it might be, you may have left it grow a little longer because you think it resembles a flower or perhaps a plant which will produce some type of "fruit".  As it grows, you can begin to tell if it is what you thought it might be or not.  When it no longer resembles what you thought it was, you pluck it up because you now recognize it as not being the "fruit-bearing" plant you imagined.  I feed birds - this produces a variety of "undergrowth" in my flowerbeds because they fling seed everywhere.  I have seen one-eyed susan, an occasional sunflower, and a lot of tall blades of grass as a result of this "seed flinging".  There is also a whole lot of stuff in there I don't recognize.  I just pluck those out right away because I have no idea what they will produce. A whole lot of "seed" gets "flung" in life, doesn't it?  Much of it can begin t...

Trails - as we travel through life, there are sure a lot to choose from, right? Have you ever chosen a trail which was just too hard for you?  You know, the one that taxed your endurance, left you aching when you finally reached the end, and just generally was way too much for you?  I have!  In real life, the trails we can pursue abound - choosing the right ones is as important as choosing the right traveling companions to "hike" those trails with you! So now you can pick out what’s true and fair,   find all the good trails!   Lady Wisdom will be your close friend,  and Brother Knowledge your pleasant companion.   Good Sense will scout ahead for danger,  Insight will keep an eye out for you.   They’ll keep you from making wrong turns,  or following the bad directions o f those who are lost themselves  and can’t tell a trail from a tumbleweed... (Proverbs 2: 9-12 MSG) This morning, as I look out onto the Shenandoah Mountains, I s...