The Plumbline

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romanns 12:1-2 MSG) Many of us attempt to 'blend in' with the culture around us, forgetting that God actually calls us to 'stick out' - not like a sore thumb, but in such a way that our lives make an impact on the world around us. It is through the living of our 'ordinary lives' that we become witnesses of his grace and transfor...

If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? (Romans 8:32 MSG) God put everything on the line for us - what are we putting on the line for him? The more we ponder that question, the more we might just realize we are holding out on God. We are giving him small portions of our time, energy and talent, but when it is all said and done, we are still holding back from total obedience to whatever it is he asks of us. Why? It is too hard? We don't want to let go? We think we know better than God? Whatever the reason for holding back, we need to come to a place of surrender and let go of our justification for any form of disobedience! God embraces us just as we are, but that doesn't mean we should go through life 'as we are'. There is a change of heart that leads to a change in actions IF there has been a genuine welc...

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us. (Psalm 46:1 MSG) If you face something uncertain today, how will you face it? Alone, attempting to build up your 'faith' to face it? Alongside a companion, both working hard to just 'make it through'? Or with the presence and safety of our heavenly Father, secure in his protection and built up in faith that isn't based in what we can 'muster up' in our own strength. We need one another, don't get me wrong. We need to build one another up in faith - this is God's plan. We cannot count on each other alone, though - we need God to be in the midst of us. The strength that comes when God is walking us through those difficult places is nothing we should take for granted. That ...

Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. (Psalm 119:165 NLT) God's commandments are burdensome and 'too rigid' for those who have never placed their trust in them. The more we discover the truths in his Word, the more we realize there is a great deal of safety and security in following his instructions. Yet, we sometimes don't do a very good job following those commands, right? What happens when we choose to ignore one or more of his commands? Do we face his condemnation? If we try to rationalize our disobedience, we may actually experience the consequences of that disobedience, but even that is not his condemnation. The more we discover about God through his Word, the more we realize that our failure at obedience is not the end - there is grace available to those who seek it. It would be much better if we never stumbled, right? It is pretty unrealistic to think we will believe everything God says the first time we are exposed to his trut...

But be careful to do what God says in his message. Do not only listen to it. Do not make that mistake! You must obey God's message. Do not be like a man who quickly looks at his face in a mirror. That man looks at himself, but then he goes away. He immediately forgets what he is really like. So do not just listen to God's message and then forget it. It is a completely good message that makes people free. Look at it carefully and keep it in your mind. Do what it tells you to do. God will bless anyone who lives in that way. (James 1:22-25) If you have ever asked, "But why?", at any point in your life, you might have received varying replies. "I said so, that's why!" "Because it is the right thing to do." "Just do it!" The list could go on, but you know as well as I do, if you are questioning the 'but why' of any action, there is something either you don't understand or you don't want to do. If we don't understand fu...

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:12-14 MSG) As you begin your day today, consider this: God sets the course, we take steps along that course, and at some point, we will reach the finish line, if we don't give up. Will we finish well, though? Or will we just barely make it over that finish line, panting, bedraggled, and wasted? The more we 'train' for the race, the better we will be able to run. The more we allow our 'coach' to help us develop our 'skills' to endure the race, the less likely we are to peter out after even a short run! Are you well on your way? If you have started well, but somewhere along the way yo...

Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 TLB) As we focus on our goals accomplished this week, let us take a moment to examine how we are doing with our 'goal' to be closer to Christ. How well did we do on that one? Did we take time each day to get into his Word, not just with a casual 'look-see', but with intent? Did we find ourselves 'tripping' over some old sin pattern that we thought we'd be able to overcome this week, but didn't do so well with? Did we 'run' toward sin or away from it? Don't despair when your goals aren't met - perhaps they just need a little 'revisit' this week, with a little less of our 'focus' and a little more of God...

I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. (Psalm 119:30 NLT) Obedience has been and always will be an active choice we make every day of our lives. We don't choose obedience once and that takes care of all the concerns we could ever have - it starts with the first step, but we never reach our desired destination with just one step in the right direction! The continual renewal of our act of obedience is necessary if we are ever to leave behind our past dealings with sin and the temptation to return to a former way of acting. If we want to grow in Christ, it requires us to live 'determined' lives. Not just 'determined' in the sense of being committed and focused, but 'determined' in the sense of having a clear destination in mind and not veering from that course. Too many times, we see God's path for us as a suggestion - choosing to figure out our own path to 'righteousness' somewhere along the way. That is nothi...

As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! (Psalm 119:7 NLT) You have probably heard that the true learning comes when you actually apply what has been taught to you. There is much truth in this, as most of what we 'learn' doesn't even get used in our everyday lives. It is merely facts placed somewhere in our memory, but not really 'of use'. Sure, we may need it somewhere down the line, but we might never even use that tidbit of 'hidden away' fact. All that we glean from God's Word may not apply today, but we can be assured that when we need it the most, we will have it at our disposal to help us right where and when it is needed. When I went through nursing school, I learned a lot about the human body, but did I put it to use right away? It wasn't until I went into my clinical setting at the hospital that I began to see how each 'fact' carefully studied and memorized actually helped me understand what was...

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him. A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind. (Matthew 4:18-22 NLT) I know I have said this before, but it bears repeating: God calls, we obey, and then he equips. We might get that a little backwards on occasion - thinking he needs to equip us with everything we will need to do whatever it is he calls us to do BEFORE we take steps to do it. I have found that it is in the 'doing' he gives us what is needed. The regular, 'common' stuff of everyday life ...

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. (Genesis 12:1, 4-5 NLT) If God were to tell you to pick up and go, would you? Having been settled for so long in a particular job, community, and relationships - would you be able to disconnect from those things and go as he asked? It might come as a little bit of a surprise to some, but most of us would have a very hard time with this 'ask' from God, wouldn't we? Why? We have become 'rooted' in our comfort and it would be hard to 'disconnect' from that level of comfort to go into the 'discomfort' of the unknown. The very idea ...

But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 NLT) If we are to be engaged with Jesus, we are also engaged with the enemy of our souls - engaged in a battle in which he desires nothing more than to have us 'disengage' from our relationship with Jesus. A cog in a wheel 'engages' with the cogs in a different wheel and the device turns. As long as we continue to engage with Jesus, our lives continue to grow. This is exactly what our enemy doesn't want to happen. He wants us to 'quit' on Jesus, while Jesus wants us to commit even deeper to the relationship. Always remember that we are both guarded from the evil one and strengthened in our continued walk with Jesu...

Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT) We grow weak and weary. Effort exerted in a day's work can leave us drained of physical energy, emotional strength, and spiritual fortitude at times. The efforts may have resulted in great gain, or limited success - either way, we come away feeling undone, wrung-out, and like our emotional 'bank account' has been drained. Those who trust, not with a flimsy, half-hearted faith, but with a deep, lasting faith in God are assured of finding a new strength, oftentimes beyon...

How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! (Psalm 128:1-2 NLT) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom as scripture says, and to live a fruitful life, one must choose to serve the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul. We cannot expect fruit where there has been no investment in the preparation for that harvest. If we just go out to the garden and expect to always see fruit on our tomato plant, but we haven't watered, turned the soil, sprayed for pesty bugs, and kept them shaded from the hot Arizona afternoon sun, our harvest will be piddly and not really all that enjoyable. Yet, if we do those things, we stand a much better chance of big red, juicy tomatoes. The 'prep' work is important if we want to see a harvest in our spiritual lives, as well. The choice to follow ALL of his ways is one that yields much fruit, but we cannot pick and choose which one of...

Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. (Psalm 90:1-2 NLT) From beginning to end - the Alpha and the Omega. God has always been and will always be. So, why do we worry through life's challenges when we know God has always been and will always be with us? Why do we stress over life's woes when we know the one who can put all things right again? We need to remember he is both the beginning and the end - what comes in the middle is where we might just try to take the reins out of his hand way too often! When we make our home somewhere, don't we do more than just pass through that space? We actually begin to put down roots, finding comfort in the small things that make that place, big or small, our home. If God is our home, won't we put down roots in a spiritual sense that help us to feel a certain sense of 'comfort' in knowing h...

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:17-18 NLT) God's presence within us brings a wisdom that helps us deal with the things of this world, including dealing with people who may be a little hard to deal with at times. It is peace loving at the very core and therefore, it takes relationships with others very seriously and sets them as a priority. We cannot be bitter and represent Christ to the world. We cannot be angry and expect others to desire his presence in their lives. It is this gentle, peace loving, yielded spirit that makes others curious about what is 'different' within us from all the others they see. God's presence within will manifest in many ways, but perhaps the most profound...

I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. (Psalm 119:67, 71 NLT) None of us enjoys suffering unless we are a little bit of a martyr. We want it to end or never have had it begin in the first place. We don't enjoy our own suffering, but we might not know how to get away from the thing that is making us suffer so deeply. That is where the Word of God can bring us insight. As we read, we might come to a passage that points out God's direction for us, knowing we should embrace what it says, stepping out to lay hold of that instruction. Sometimes we lack the 'umph' to move toward obedience even when we clearly comprehend the thing we should be doing that would set us free from that suffering caused by our sin. That's when we turn to God and cry out - knowing without his help, we will continue to wander off. Following God's word 'closely' ...

What is the 'theme of your song'? Most of us could actually give a title to the 'song' that describes the things we have done, want to do, and continue to do in our lives. The rodeo bull rider may make his theme, "I wanna ride, ride, ride till I can't ride no more". The determined CEO may say his is, "I made it, look at me now". Whatever the 'theme' of your song is, if Jesus isn't at the center of that 'song', you might need a rewrite on that song! Your decrees have been the theme of my songs wherever I have lived. I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions. This is how I spend my life: obeying your commandments. (Psalm 119:54-56 NLT) Reflection is a powerful 'tool' in our arsenal of defense against the enemy of our soul and even our own stubborn sin nature. The goodness of God is often reflected in our lives, with his love and grace coming through when other emotions might have ...

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. (I John 3:18-22 NLT) How many times have we experienced the 'do as I say and not as I do' scenario in life? If you are honest, you probably have actually done opposite of what you know is right to do on more than one occasion. When our testimony (what we say) isn't matching what we do, there is a disconnect somewhere. One of the things I needed to learn in life is that what I say doesn't matter if what I do doesn't line up with the things God wants me to pursue and emulate in life. Let's not merely SAY that ...

Albert Pike said, "We have all the light we need, we just need to put it into practice." We might think we need more of everything, including knowledge, but the sad truth is that many of us don't even use the knowledge we have been given! What is missing is the 'practice' behind that knowledge. God's Word reminds us, "So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror." (James 1:21-23 NLT) We must 'humbly accept' God's word into our lives, doing what it says - putting it into practice, not just gaining knowledge about what he says. Therein is the rub - we read and read, but the words on the pages of the book just don't seem to draw us into c...