The Plumbline

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) Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you. Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more. (Proverbs 9:7-9) We have many responses to a rebuke, don't we? Some of us will scoff and say you are wrong about what you think or say about us. Others will argue vehemently that you have made wrong decisions yourself, so how could you judge their actions as wrong? Some will find any rebuke as belittling, cowering as a child scorned, afraid of what others will think should they find out whatever it ...

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. (John 14:21) Before obedience comes acceptance - we have to accept the commandments of God and then apply ourselves to obeying them. Do we have to understand all the commandments of God before we can apply them to our lives? We can acknowledge that there are some we may not fully 'understand' but we are intent on keeping because God tells us to live within their boundaries. We have to welcome his commandments, though. The more we find ways to twist or resist them, the harder it will be for us to draw near to him. Why? The twisting and resisting reveals we are really not intent on developing the relationship! When we accept the commandments of God, we are really showing that we are willing to undertake the responsibility to live within those commandments. Did you really hear that? The element of resp...